Speaker rejects Sohel Taj’s resignation from JS
He cites various reasons for turning it down
Dhaka, May 9 (UNB) – Speaker Abdul Hamid on Wednesday turned down the resignation letter of ruling Awami League MP Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj for not fulfilling the procedure as stated in the Constitution and the rules of procedure of Parliament.
“Some questions have arisen in my mind after I examined his resignation letter, and his (Sohel Taj) resignation was not properly submitted. That’s why I’ve no other way but to reject it,” Hamid told a group of reporters at his Sangsad Bhaban office.
The Speaker said Sohel Taj will have to come physically to submit his resignation.
He said the office of the Speaker received the resignation letter at 10:50 am on April 23 where it was stated that the signature was put on April 23.
“Sohel Taj is now in Maryland, USA. If we calculate the time difference we’ll find it’ll be around 12:50 am in the USA (when it was done). If I accept he signed the resignation paper at midnight (12:00) on April 23 in the USA it is impossible to send the hard copy of the resignation letter to my office in 50 minutes,” he said.
In this connection, he said had the copy been sent by fax or e-mail it might have been granted, but sending the hard copy in minutes seemed fishy to him.
Hamid also said the person who placed the resignation letter in front of the officials of the Speaker was not known to them or to the Speaker himself. “His identity is not clear to me,” he said.
“That person is also not enlisted by the Parliament Secretariat. Each MP has been provided with a person as office assistant-cum-computer operator. This person was not that,” he said.
He said Sohel Taj does not allow any government-appointed person to be his personal secretary after placed his resignation as State nister of Home Affairs. “This is not the end… I’ve also failed to talk to that person over the phone number he used.”
As per the constitution, Hamid said, the resignation letter must be written by the MP himself stating that he expressed his willingness to resign. “But the resignation letter sent by Sohel Taj was typed in computer and he said he resigned from the post of MP, not expressed his willingness. It’s the violation of the Constitution and the rules of procedure of Parliament,” he said.
“It seems to me that the signature and the date mentioned on that resignation letter was written with two different pens at different times. I’m not sure whether Sohel Taj signed on that paper or not. If he signed why the color of the ink used to write the date will be different,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said when the matter is constitutional there is no scope to write part of the letter by another person. “Sohel Taj might have signed the letter, but still there are some complications,” he said.
Replying to another question, he admitted that Sohel Taj talked to the Speaker over telephone after submitting the resignation letter by another person. “I told him clearly, it’ll take time as scrutiny is going on in this regard,” he said.
Regarding his absence in Parliament for more than 90 days, he said the Speaker has the discretionary power to extend that time. “I use that power for BNP lawmaker SQ Chowdhury who is now in jail,” he said.
Sohel Taj was elected MP from Gazipur-4 constituency in 2001 and 2008 national polls.
According to the constitution, a member may quit his seat 'by writing in his hand addressed to the Speaker and the seat shall become vacant when the writing is received by the Speaker'.
Sohel Taj did not show any ground for his resignation.
Sohel Taj, son of slain national leader and ex-Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad, was appointed State Minister for Home Affairs after the incumbent Awami League-led grand alliance government came to power in January 2009.
But, within five months, he quit the ministerial job on May 31, 2009 following reported tussle with some senior leaders of Awami League. The Prime Minister, however, did not accept his resignation.
Sohel Taj, who has been living in the USA, protested the sending of his salary and allowances to his bank account by the cabinet division though he resigned 33 months ago.
“Some questions have arisen in my mind after I examined his resignation letter, and his (Sohel Taj) resignation was not properly submitted. That’s why I’ve no other way but to reject it,” Hamid told a group of reporters at his Sangsad Bhaban office.
The Speaker said Sohel Taj will have to come physically to submit his resignation.
He said the office of the Speaker received the resignation letter at 10:50 am on April 23 where it was stated that the signature was put on April 23.
“Sohel Taj is now in Maryland, USA. If we calculate the time difference we’ll find it’ll be around 12:50 am in the USA (when it was done). If I accept he signed the resignation paper at midnight (12:00) on April 23 in the USA it is impossible to send the hard copy of the resignation letter to my office in 50 minutes,” he said.
In this connection, he said had the copy been sent by fax or e-mail it might have been granted, but sending the hard copy in minutes seemed fishy to him.
Hamid also said the person who placed the resignation letter in front of the officials of the Speaker was not known to them or to the Speaker himself. “His identity is not clear to me,” he said.
“That person is also not enlisted by the Parliament Secretariat. Each MP has been provided with a person as office assistant-cum-computer operator. This person was not that,” he said.
He said Sohel Taj does not allow any government-appointed person to be his personal secretary after placed his resignation as State nister of Home Affairs. “This is not the end… I’ve also failed to talk to that person over the phone number he used.”
As per the constitution, Hamid said, the resignation letter must be written by the MP himself stating that he expressed his willingness to resign. “But the resignation letter sent by Sohel Taj was typed in computer and he said he resigned from the post of MP, not expressed his willingness. It’s the violation of the Constitution and the rules of procedure of Parliament,” he said.
“It seems to me that the signature and the date mentioned on that resignation letter was written with two different pens at different times. I’m not sure whether Sohel Taj signed on that paper or not. If he signed why the color of the ink used to write the date will be different,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said when the matter is constitutional there is no scope to write part of the letter by another person. “Sohel Taj might have signed the letter, but still there are some complications,” he said.
Replying to another question, he admitted that Sohel Taj talked to the Speaker over telephone after submitting the resignation letter by another person. “I told him clearly, it’ll take time as scrutiny is going on in this regard,” he said.
Regarding his absence in Parliament for more than 90 days, he said the Speaker has the discretionary power to extend that time. “I use that power for BNP lawmaker SQ Chowdhury who is now in jail,” he said.
Sohel Taj was elected MP from Gazipur-4 constituency in 2001 and 2008 national polls.
According to the constitution, a member may quit his seat 'by writing in his hand addressed to the Speaker and the seat shall become vacant when the writing is received by the Speaker'.
Sohel Taj did not show any ground for his resignation.
Sohel Taj, son of slain national leader and ex-Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad, was appointed State Minister for Home Affairs after the incumbent Awami League-led grand alliance government came to power in January 2009.
But, within five months, he quit the ministerial job on May 31, 2009 following reported tussle with some senior leaders of Awami League. The Prime Minister, however, did not accept his resignation.
Sohel Taj, who has been living in the USA, protested the sending of his salary and allowances to his bank account by the cabinet division though he resigned 33 months ago.
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