Disaster Management and Relief Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya has set off for Thailand amidst growing demands for his resignation.
Maya has faced much criticism since his claim that none of his family were involved in the Narayanganj multiple murders.
His son-in-law former Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad, a former RAB officer, was arrested earlier this week for his suspected involvement with the murders.
The minister left for Thailand on Monday afternoon to attend an international conference on disaster management there, the ministry’s public relations officer Omar Faruk Dewan told bdnews24.com.
A joint secretary of the ministry is accompanying Maya on the visit. He is expected to return on May 22.
He did not attend Monday’s cabinet meeting for the third consecutive time.
Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said Maya informed them of his absence.
On how many cabinet meetings a minister can skip, Bhuiyan said there is no hard and fast rule on that.
Maya did not give any prior information about his absence in two earlier meetings.
Seven men, including Narayanganj City Councillor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar, were abducted from Narayanganj city on Apr 27.
Their bodies were found floating in the Sitalakhyya River three days later.
Maya’s son-in-law former Lt Col Tarek Sayeed Mohammad was removed from his job as commander of RAB-11 and sent back to the army one day before the bodies were recovered.
Slain councilor Nazrul’s father-in-law claimed three RAB officers including Maya’s son-in-law had taken Tk 60 million in bribes from local Awami League leader Nur Hossain to carry out the murders.
Mohammad and two others were sent into forced retirement on May 7.
However, minister Maya in a statement issued on his official letterhead said none of his family had had any role in the crime.
Various quarters demanded his resignation for making such statement while an investigation was on.
Police arrested three former RAB-11 officers including Maya’s son-in-law early this week for their involvement in the incident. They are now on police remand.
Source: Bd news24
