Syed Ashraful Islam declines comment after losing LGRD ministry

The Awami League general secretary arrived at the Iftar at the party’s headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue around 6pm Thursday.

A Cabinet Division circular, announcing him as ‘minister without portfolio’, was released on Thursday afternoon. 

Syed Ashraf addressed several political issues in his speech, but said nothing about the decision to axe him. 

He was leaving after Iftar when reporters flocked him. 
 
Juba League leaders somewhat shielded him while ushering him towards his flag-bearing car.

But as reporters relentlessly requested him for a comment, he smiled and said he will not say anything about it.

Syed Ashraful Islam showed up at a Juba League event hours after he was sacked as the LGRD minister, but refused to say anything about losing the vital ministry.

The Awami League general secretary arrived at the Iftar at the party’s headquarters at Bangabandhu Avenue around 6pm Thursday.

A Cabinet Division circular, announcing him as ‘minister without portfolio’, was released on Thursday afternoon.

The Kishoreganj MP addressed several political issues in his speech, but said nothing about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s decision to axe him.

After Iftar, he left the venue to go to Awami League’s headquarters when reporters flocked him. 

Juba League leaders somewhat shielded him and took him inside Juba League’s office on the first floor of Awami League’s headquarters.

As reporters relentlessly requested him for a comment, he smiled and said nothing.   

Journalists tried to enter the Juba League’s office but they were requested to leave and told that the leader will not speak to reporters.

After 25 minutes, Syed Ashraf emerged out of the room and was immediately surrounded by reporters.

Juba League leaders shielded him again and ushered him towards his flag-bearing vehicle.

He is the son of Bangladesh’s acting President during the 1971 Liberation War and one of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s closest allies killed in prison.

Syed Ashraf proved his mettle by shouldering the post of Awami League’s general secretary when central leaders including party chief Hasina were imprisoned during the 2007-8 emergency rule.

Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, the Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister, will take the helm of the LGRD ministry ‘for the time being’.

Khandker Mosharraf, Faridpur-3 MP, is father-in-law to Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed Hossain Putul.

“I’m seeing it as a huge opportunity to serve the people,” the new LGRD Minister told reporters from his home at Faridpur town. 

He was the first chief engineer of the Rural Works Programme under the ministry and had a role in the creation of LGED.