Bangladesh health adviser resigns; 2nd official to exit in a week

Bangladesh's special assistant to the chief adviser for the health ministry, Sayedur Rahman, has resigned, becoming the second senior official to exit the Muhammad Yunus-led interim govt within a week. The cabinet division issued a gazette notification on Tuesday night saying the president has accepted Rahman's resignation with immediate effect, the Daily Star newspaper reported on Wednesday. The reason behind his decision is not known immediately, it said. Prothom Alo daily quoted Rahman as saying, "I resigned a month ago. It was accepted on Tuesday. My govt service term ended yesterday, Tuesday." Rahman, a former VC of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, was appointed special assistant to Yunus with the rank of state minister in Nov last year. His resignation comes close on the heels of the exit of Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser for the home ministry, who stepped down on Dec 24.