Dhaka, June 2 (bdnews24.com)—State minister for home Tanjim Ahmed has applied for leave citing personal grounds, home minister Sahara Khatun said Tuesday amid widespread rumours of his resignation.
The minister trashed the news of Tanjim resigning too.
"Tanjim Ahmed applied for leave yesterday (Monday) from June 6 to 23. I approved the leave," Khatun told reporters at her office in the Secretariat.
She said she was not aware of Tanjim's resignation, as had been published in the media.
Sahara, however, had told bdnews24.com that the state minister was not reachable on Monday.
Rumours swirled that Tanjim, after five months in office, had submitted his resignation on on Monday. Newspapers said it was all due to his disagreements with Khatun.
"Tanjim is like my own son. There arises no question at all of any rifts between us."
"I don't understand how the newspapers published such rubbish."
"Tanjim had talked about going to the US on leave to see his wife and children there. He submitted his application formally on Monday."
The state minister was also visiting the States at the time of the BDR mutiny in February.
Sahara said she had forwarded Tanjim's leave application to the prime minister.
Better known as Sohel Taj, Tanjim was seen entering prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Hare Road residence on Monday afternoon, stoking the speculations that he had quit.
An official at the prime minister's official residence, wishing anonymity, said Tanjim met and had discussions with Hasina for an hour and a half in the evening.
The official did not give details of what had been discussed.
Although there was no mention from any official source of the resignation on Monday, the rumour grew to be the hottest topic at the Secretariat.
Asked about the reports, the home minister had said, "If he steps down, he would naturally go to the prime minister, though he may let me know as a courtesy."
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