Khuda Baksh Chowdhury resigned from his post as special assistant to the chief adviser amid growing concerns within the government over his handling of law and order ahead of the February 12 national election, officials said.
Several senior government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Khuda Baksh was appointed special assistant on November 10, 2024, following the July mass uprising, with the expectation that he would play a pivotal role in restoring discipline and boosting morale within law enforcement agencies, particularly the police.
They said those expectations were not met.
"He needed to resign due to his failure to perform at the expected level and shortcomings in crisis management," said another senior government official. "He was a former IGP, and there were expectations that he would play a strong and decisive role."
Khuda Baksh, a former inspector general of police who was overseeing the Ministry of Home Affairs, stepped down on Wednesday amid mounting concerns over public safety following a series of incidents in recent months.
These incidents include the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho and an aspirant from the Dhaka-8 constituency. Following his death, attacks were also carried out on the offices of national dailies The Daily Star and Prothom Alo, as well as on two prominent cultural organisations -- Chhayanaut and Udichi.
Officials told this newspaper that unease was growing within the administration over his performance, particularly after the shooting of Hadi, one of the organisers of the July uprising, and the subsequent fallout.
"Realising this unease, he himself submitted the resignation. The government did not ask him to resign," said a top government official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Attempts to reach Khuda Baksh for comment were unsuccessful.
FP/MI
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Law and order failure led to Khuda Baksh’s resignation
