Despite rendering his resignation from the polls-time cabinet, GM Quader, a senior leader of HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party, continued with his duties as the commerce minister by signing the souvenir of the annual Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF) yesterday, official sources said.
The DITF 2014 souvenir is to be presented at the opening ceremony on January 11.
In early December, GM Quader, a JP presidium member, categorically told the media that he had resigned from the cabinet following Ershad’s announcement of boycotting the 10th parliamentary polls without the participation of all parties.
Quader has not attended his commerce ministry office since, although Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina did not accept his resignation letter.
Quader told the Dhaka Tribune over phone yesterday that he just gave his consent to signing the fair souvenir.
Meanwhile, a commerce ministry official confirmed that Quader had already signed a summary of the export fair. However, the minister would not be attending his secretariat office until Sunday’s general elections, the official added.
The month-long DITF 2014, which was scheduled to begin yesterday, was deferred by 10 days following requests from the country’s business community and fair participants. The largest trade fair of the country will now kick off on January 11 in the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Earlier, nearly 100 domestic and foreign participants had threatened to stay away from the fair unless the opening was deferred until the elections were over. Small businessmen had also threatened to stop constructing pavilions and stalls at the fair site.
