Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya did not join the regular cabinet meeting at the Secretariat although he was in Dhaka yesterday.
Conspicuously, it happened days after the allegations arose about his family members being involved in the sensational abduction and murder of seven persons in Narayanganj. The minister, however, shrugged off all such allegations.
Maya did not notify the cabinet about his absence, which runs contrary to the procedure for the meeting of the cabinet.
His absence triggered a rumour that he might have been absent from the meeting because of his ‘resignation’ from the ministerial post.
But the minister shrugged it off, telling the reporters at his ministry: “I did not attend the meeting in view of my physical condition. You can also guess that I would be here now if I had resigned from my post.”
He, however, refused to make any comment behind his alleged involvement of his family members in the sentational abduction and murder in Dhaka’s outskirts district.
Earlier, Cabinet Secretary M Mushharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune, “I have not noticed whether he (Maya) was present at the meeting or not. We had sent our cabinet meeting folder (containing meeting details) and he had received it.”
Asked whether Maya notified the cabinet of his absence earlier, Musharraf declined to make any comment.
The ministers, who were present at yesterday’s cabinet meeting, told the Dhaka Tribune they did not see Maya at the cabinet meeting. The cabinet secretary also did not inform them of the reason behind Maya’s absence.
Nor did any cabinet member ask the cabinet secretary about it, they said.
Maya’s Assistant Personal Secretary Shahidul Islam Milon and a privileged staff of his, however, confirmed the Dhaka Tribune about his absence from the cabinet meeting.
The minister did not join the meeting, but met with ministry officials and signed several official files at his residential office. He might, however, go to his office in the evening (yesterday), they said.
Maya, also general secretary of the Awami League’s Dhaka city unit, also met with his party leaders during the meeting without joining the cabinet meeting.
Earlier on May 5, the minister also did not join the regular cabinet meeting showing the cause of his official visit to Mexico.
