Dhaka, July 6 (BDNEWS) – President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed resumed his office Thursday afternoon, according to a notification of Cabinet Division.
A communiqué from the Presidential palace Bangabhaban Thursday announced that the President will attend the office from Sunday.
Meanwhile, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Maudud Ahmed told the Parliament that the opposition party needs not to be worried much about the situation of the President as he has already taken up his charge.
A gazette notification has been made in this regard, he told the House as opposition Awami League lawmaker Advocate Rahmat Ali raised the issues on point of order.
The announcement from the Bangabhaban came in the wake of reviewing the health condition of the President by a medical board earlier in the day.
"The medical board has expressed satisfaction after reviewing the health condition of President Prof Iajuddin Ahmed," said M Mukhlesur Rahman Chowdhury, the press secretary to the President.
"The President is quiet stable to gradually resume routine work. His cardiac status is satisfactory," he said quoting the observations of the medical board.
The board recommended that the President can resume light work with immediate effect and limited visitors may be allowed.
It suggested continuing the present medication and reviewing the health condition of the President after about three weeks.
Headed by National Professor Brig Gen (retd) Dr MA Malik, the board composed of Prof KMHS Sirajul Haque, Prof Sufia Rahman, Maj Gen MA Moyeed Siddiqui, Maj Gen MG Rabbani, Col Sk Md Bahar Hossain and Lt Col Mamunur Rahman.
The President was flown to Singapore in an air ambulance on May 24 and underwent a bypass surgery on May 26. He returned home on June 20 after staying there for a month after his operation. He returned to the Bangabhaban on June 24.
Earlier on the day, opposition leader Sheikh Hasina said though the president was fit, he was not allowed to discharge his presidential duties that raised a question if the President is under house arrest.
"The president is yet to resume his charge as the government confined him after he returned home receiving treatment abroad," alleged Awami League president Sheikh Hasina while addressing a meeting with the grassroots-level leaders at her Dhanmondi office.
She also sought appointment to visit the President.
Opposition leader's private secretary Selima Khatun sent a letter to the Secretary to the President seeking the appointment at a convenient time of the President.
The Opposition leader's move came on the heels of a serious controversy over the health condition of the President, who was barred from meeting anyone on his return back home from Singapore.
Earlier on Wednesday, opposition AL lawmakers told the Parliament that they want to meet the president with a view to knowing his actual health situation. "We want to know the actual health situation of the President," AL lawmaker Suranjit Sengupta said.
On his return from Singapore, he was straight drove to the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka without the giving president's protocol.
None was allowed to meet him so far except the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who met the President at the CMH, on the same day. The president stayed there for three days and returned to Bangabhaban on June 24, but he did not resume the office.
Speaker Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, who has been discharging the duties of the president in his (President's) absence as Acting President, continuing his office till date.
Meanwhile, serious controversy triggered over the non-resumption of the office by the President and discharging of duties by Barrister Sircar as Acting president at the Bangabhaban.
The opposition camp brought allegation against the ruling party of changing the president ahead of the general elections to appoint a more loyal president to derive benefit during the caretaker government.
Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina in a step forward accused her arch political rival Khaleda Zia of hatching conspiracy to become President.
However, the Prime Minister ruled out her allegation saying: "I do not want to be President. We do not have such plan," she said addressing the Jatiya Sangsad last week.
But, controversy took a new twist when some newspapers and a television channel made reports quoting his physician Dr Maurice Chu that the President is fit for work.
"He returned to Bangladesh with a physical condition to resume work. There was no prohibition on him to meet anyone. The President was also aware about it," Dr Chu told the ATN Bangla TV channel Monday.
The media reports were bashed by an urgent release from the presidential palace Bangabhaban.
On Tuesday, Bangabhaban contradicted the news saying that some newspapers and TV channels misquoted the physician over the health condition of the President creating confusion among the people.
BDNEWS/1946 hrs
