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Taj on leave

Says Sahara; sources say he resigned out of frustration

M Abul Kalam Azad and Hasan Jahid Tusher
4 Frustrated State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj "tendered his resignation" after government high-ups criticised him for some of his recent actions, highly placed sources in the government said.
They said Sohel Taj, who has not been in his office since Sunday, also developed "misunderstandings" with Home Minister Sahara Khatun over power sharing and making decisions on issues like reshuffle in the police department and the department's administration.
He was also under pressure from influential party leaders as they pursued him to serving their own interests and lobbied for posts, promotions and undue privileges of police officials, close aides to the state minister told The Daily Star.
Sohel, the youngest member in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cabinet, allegedly submffted his resignation Monday. Hasina did not accept his resignation and asked him to go on leave.
Home Minister Sahara Khatun, however, yesterday said she was oblivious to her deputy resigning. She said, "He [Sohel] applied for leave from June 6 to June 23 and I signed the application which will be sent to the prime minister for approval.”
She said she tried to contact Sohel over telephone after hearing the rumour but failed to reach him. She ridiculed the media for running stories that Sohel resigned as a result of personal enmity with her.
Sources said Hasina asked Sohel to go on leave, as she does not want to see any controversy over the issue like the one that developed during the • regime of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Sohel's father, the first prime minister of Bangladesh T a j u d d i n Ahmed, was dropped from Mujibs cabinet creating widespread criticism in and outside the party.
"He [Sohel] was not happy as he hardly had any role in various affairs of the ministry. He used to remain in the dark about many important decisions," said a high-profile source in the government.
The source said Sohel's * comments regarding the ” deaths of two students of Tejgaon Polytechnic Institute in "crossfire ’ and preventing former state minister for power Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku from leaving the country, despite having High Court permission, upset his superiors in the government.
"Even the prime minister summoned him recently and gave him a piece of her mind which made Sohel frustrated and emotional," said the source.
His aides said Sohel was staying in his official residence •andwas yet to change his ■ position. 'T made the decision considering my family and reputation of my family," one of his aides quoted him as saying.
The aide said according to 58 (1) (Ka) of the constitution, a minister's resignation, except the prime minister's, becomes immediately effective if the minister places his or her resignation letter before the prime minister for forwarding it to the president.
While talking to The Daily Star last week, Sohel hinted that he might leave the country for US if he failed to perform his duties properly. "I have nothing to lose since 1 [personally] have nothing to gain," he said.
None could confirm whether the prime minister accepted his resignation as of Tuesday.
A source in the Prime Minister’s Office, however, told The Daily Star last night that the matter would be resolved soon. The source said some of the party leaders and ministers, including LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Syed Ashraful Islam, were trying until late last night to persuade Sohel not to resign.
Ashraful had a meeting with Sohel last night in this regard.
"We have requested him [Sohel] to change his mind and he became a little bit flexible from his earlier firm stance. He may reconsider his decision," Azgar Ali Rashid Khan, president of Kapasia upazila unit of Awami League, told The Daily Star. Sohel was elected from Gazipur-5 constituency that includes Kapasia upazila.
A close friend of Sohel quoting him said he might change his mind in the interests of the country and its people. "I may consider changing my decision if I am allowed to perform honestly maintaining my principles," Sohel was quoted as saying.