Technocrat ministers won't be in polls-time govt: Quader

The four technocrat ministers, who had earlier submitted their resignations, would no longer assume their posts after today, said Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader yesterday.

“No unelected person will remain in the polls-time government. Technocrat ministers will not hold their post anymore after December 9. The size of the polls-time government depends on sole jurisdiction of Sheikh Hasina,” he said.

Quader, the road transport and bridges minister, made the remarks while talking to local journalists at Kabirhat area in Noakhali, his electoral constituency.

All four technocrat ministers tendered their resignation to the Cabinet Division on November 6 hours after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked them to step down from her cabinet.

They are: religious affairs minister Matiur Rahman; expatriates' welfare and overseas employment minister Nurul Islam BSc; science and technology minister Yeafesh Osman and telecommunications and information technology minister Mustafa Jabbar.

However, they continued joining cabinet meetings, until the most recent one held on December 3.

Cabinet Secretary Md Shafiul Alam on November 12 told journalists, “As no gazette notification has been issued yet, it will be considered that they are holding the cabinet posts.”

The next day, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said the resignation letters of the four technocrat ministers would come into effect once the prime minister accepts those.