Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Khoda Baksh Chowdhury Resigns Following Inqilab Mancha Ultimatum

Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, the Special Assistant to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for the Ministry of Home Affairs, has resigned from his position. The President has officially accepted his resignation.

The Chief Adviser's Press Wing confirmed the information on Wednesday night (December 24).

According to a gazette notification issued by the Cabinet Division, the President has accepted the resignation of Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, who was serving as a Special Assistant with the rank of a Minister of State and was vested with executive powers over the Ministry of Home Affairs.

On November 10 last year, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus appointed three Special Assistants with the rank of State Minister to assist the advisers of the Home, Health, and Education ministries. They were granted executive authority within those respective ministries.

Among them, former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khoda Baksh Chowdhury was given the responsibility for the Home Ministry. Meanwhile, Professor Sayedur Rahman, Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Medical University, was assigned to the Health Ministry, and Professor M. Aminul Islam was assigned to the Education Ministry. Professor Aminul Islam resigned a few months ago, and now Khoda Baksh Chowdhury has followed suit.

The Inqilab Mancha Connection
The resignation comes amid intense pressure from the Inqilab Mancha, which has been protesting and demanding the arrest of the killers of their spokesperson, Sharif Osman bin Hadi.

During a rally at Shahbagh on December 20, the organization issued a 24-hour ultimatum to Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Special Assistant Khoda Baksh Chowdhury to provide updates on the investigation into Osman Hadi’s murder. The Inqilab Mancha had demanded their resignations if they failed to provide an answer within the stipulated time.

Khoda Baksh's resignation follows the expiration of that ultimatum. While rumors regarding the resignation of Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury have been circulating on social media, he remains in office.