MK Rahman, who was sacked from the post of Additional Attorney General on Monday, has resigned as chief coordinator of prosecution at the International Crimes Tribunal without citing reasons behind his resignation.
He told the Dhaka Tribune that he submitted his resignation letter to the law ministry yesterday around 4.30pm.
On his removal MK Rahman said: “There is no reason to be unhappy. I am fine. But I do not know why the government sacked me. I have served the AG office as an Additional Attorney General for five years and two months but never opposed any state order for the sake of opposition.”
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the government did not consult him about the removal of MK Rahman and he did not know the reason behind it either.
According to the Bangladesh Law Officers Order of 1972, an Additional Attorney General is also a law officer. The law says “a law officer shall hold office during the pleasure of the president and his services may be terminated at any time by the president without any reason being assigned for his termination”.
The law also says “A law officer may resign his office by a writing under his hand addressed to the president”.
According to the constitution, it is not the president’s prerogative to sack an additional attorney general rather he has to fulfil the will of the prime minister in this regard.
MK Rahman was sacked on May 19 after a High Court bench on May 11 ordered the inspector general of police to arrest three former officers of the RAB 11 under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for their alleged involvement in seven murders in Narayanganj.
Following the order, the premier
on May 14 in a meeting said: “What would the executive branch do if the judiciary performed the duties that are under the jurisdiction of the executive?”
The same day the prime minister at a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at Gono Bhaban demanded explanation as to why the High Court order went against the government on the Narayanganj killings.
In response, Awami League’s Law Secretary Abdul Matin Khasru said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam was abroad and those who represented the government “did not place proper arguments”.
Though then acting attorney general MK Rahman on May 11 attended the court’s session on seven murders he did not want to place any argument before the bench.
MK Rahman, however, yesterday said he did not oppose, as the High Court’s arrest order was on its own motion and the court did not want to listen to him either. He also said he contacted the government in the proper way but did not receive any instruction.
After his return from Africa, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam became furious on May 15 when a lawyer read out the order to arrest the former RAB trio by the bench led by Justice Md Rezaul Haque and said someone intentionally wanted to malign the government.
Sources said grouping was one of the major causes for the removal of MK Rahman who was appointed as the chief coordinator of the ICT prosecution team in the rank of attorney general on January 30 last year.
Law Minister Anisul Huq on March 23, at a Meet the Press programme said there were many groups in the prosecutions team but he would sit with them to resolve the issue.
Due to grouping in the prosecution team, trial of the Jamaat for war crimes did not proceed. There is a rumour flying around that MK Rahman received bribes from the organisation to delay the proceedings.
In this regard, MK Rahman said the accusation was completely false and he cannot compromise with the war crimes trials. If the government needs his help in the trial, he will do that, he added.
In response to a question, MK said he did not have any clash with Mahbubey Alam but there may be differences of opinions on the nature of work.