Legal notice served on govt to remove PM’s advisers

A pro-BNP lawyer of the Supreme Court yesterday served a legal notice on the government to cancel appointments of 11 advisers to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and their ministerial status, privileges, benefits and responsibilities in three days.
Barrister Ragib Rauf Chowdhury sent the notice saying that the appointments are illegal and contrary to the constitution, as the public did not elect them.
He demanded that the government immediately take back ministerial salaries and benefits given to the 11 and seek compensation from them for using ministerial privileges and protocols.
They are- HT Imam, public administration affairs adviser; Dr Mashiur Rahman, economic affairs adviser; Prof Dr Syed Modasser Ali, health and family welfare and social welfare affairs adviser; Dr Alauddin Ahmed, education and political affairs adviser; Dr Gowher Rizvi, international affairs adviser;  Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, security adviser, and Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, energy adviser, and four newly appointed advisers — Ziauddin Ahmed Bablu, Barrister Shafique Ahmed, Dilip Barua and Anwar Hossain (Manju).
Seven of them were appointed in 2009 and the new four this month.
However, HT Imam, Tawfiq-E-Elahi Chowdhury, Mashiur Rahman, Syed Modasser Ali and Alauddin Ahmed already resigned yesterday.  On Monday, Hasina asked them to step down.
The legal notice yesterday was served on the 11, the cabinet secretary and principal secretary to the prime minister.
Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, who sent the notice on behalf of Ragib Rauf, said the term "minister" does not include an "adviser" to the prime minister.
He said a writ petition will be filed with the High Court challenging the legality of the appointments, if the government does not cancel those.