Date:18/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/18/stories/2008071855671900.htm

International

Bangladesh Attorney-General resigns

Haroon Habib

DHAKA: Bangladesh Attorney-General Fida M. Kamal has resigned. “I have resigned on personal grounds,” he told reporters on Thursday. However, sources in the Attorney-General’s office said the resignation came after a recent tug of war between the military-backed caretaker government and the government’s most powerful law officer over a number of issues, including promulgation of the Government Attorney Service Ordinance, 2008; conflicts between Mr. Kamal’s office and various government organisations; and the absence of Mr. Kamal during the hearing of important cases.

He, however, did not comment when asked whether he had any differences with the government. His resignation came after the High Court, on July 13, ruled the President, under the caretaker government, could promulgate no ordinance-making provisions that are not directly related to elections. However, the President has so far promulgated more than 70 ordinances.

For the first time in the country’s history, an Attorney-General refrained from felicitating the outgoing or the new Chief Justice. Mr. Kamal — appointed as Deputy Attorney-General by the Khaleda Zia government — explained he had gone by the decision of the Supreme Court Bar Association, which had decided to felicitate the outgoing Chief Justice.

Mr. Kamal was at loggerheads with the government on various counts, including several foreign tours and his role in pursuing bail petitions of those accused of corruption.