What BNP MP Misti wrote in her resignation letter

BNP MP Ferdousi Ahmed Misti has resigned from her reserved women's seat in the National Parliament after her name came up in the attack, looting and vandalism at the Radda MCH-FP health centre in the capital's Mirpur. She submitted her resignation letter to National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Thursday noon. The National Parliament Secretariat later issued a notification declaring her seat vacant.

In the resignation letter to the Speaker, Ferdousi Ahmed Misti said she has decided to step down from her MP post in full consciousness and voluntarily. In the resignation letter, she wrote, "Honourable Speaker, I, Ferdousi Ahmed, have been serving as a Member of Parliament (reserved women's seat) of the 13th National Parliament. I have decided in full consciousness and voluntarily to resign from the post of Member of Parliament (reserved women's seat-23) of the National Parliament. Therefore, I humbly request that you kindly accept my resignation letter and take the necessary measures to make the resignation effective."

Ferdousi Ahmed did not give any other reason or explanation in the resignation letter. She submitted the resignation letter after meeting Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed around 1:45pm on Thursday.

Ferdousi Ahmed Misti was elected MP from a reserved women's seat on BNP's nomination. There are 50 reserved women's seats in the 13th National Parliament. These seats are distributed in proportion to the number of MPs won by parties in direct elections. This time, 36 reserved women MPs were elected on BNP's nomination. Their gazette was published on April 30 and they took oath on May 3. By that count, Ferdousi Ahmed left the post within about five months of becoming an MP.

According to high-level sources in the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman gave Ferdousi Ahmed instructions on Wednesday night regarding resignation. She was also told that more stringent action could be taken from the party if she did not resign quickly.

On September 25, more than two hundred masked individuals carrying local weapons attacked the Radda MCH-FP Centre in the capital's Mirpur. After looting, the health centre's building was demolished. After the incident, the name of 'Samamona Dokandar Samabay Samity Limited' came into discussion. Information was found about the involvement of several local BNP leaders and activists in that activity.

Ferdousi Ahmed was president of that samity in 2006 when she was commissioner of Ward No. 8 of Shah Ali Police Station. At that time, her signature as president was on an application made to the Housing and Public Works authorities to allocate the Radda Centre's land in the samity's name. However, she did not say anything in her resignation letter about the allegations or involvement raised against her in the current incident.