Local leaders and activists of BNP and its front organisations have staged protests and blocked roads in Rangamati demanding the withdrawal of Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Dipen Dewan’s sudden resignation.
The agitating leaders and activists took to the streets on Monday afternoon shortly after the news of the minister’s resignation spread, parading various important roads and taking positions at key points on the Rangamati-Chattogram highway.
The protesters completely halted vehicular movement for about half an hour in front of the Rangamati BNP party office, leaving hundreds of vehicles stuck on both sides of the road and causing severe hardship to ordinary passengers and traders.
Speaking at the protest rally, BNP leaders said that Dipen Dewan, elected as Member of Parliament from the Rangamati seat by a huge margin in the 13th National Parliament election, was appointed Hill Tracts minister reflecting the long-standing expectations of the hill people.
“Just three and a half months into his tenure, local people and grassroots leaders and activists cannot accept this resignation,” they said, making a strong demand to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to immediately withdraw the resignation and reinstate the minister.
Earlier in the morning, the resignation letter submitted by Dipen Dewan to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman went viral. In the letter, the minister stated that he has been suffering from various physical complications ever since taking charge of the ministry, causing problems in performing his duties.
“In the interest of the government’s development and dynamism, I consider it preferable to resign,” he wrote.
Although Dewan cited physical reasons for his resignation, the matter has sparked widespread discussion. Politically conscious observers are unwilling to see the resignation of a minister just three months after the government’s formation as a completely normal incident, suspecting that internal party conflict may have led to the resignation.
