Updated on Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 00:00 IST

Dhaka, Jan 24: Bangladesh's Attorney General A J Mohammad Ali on Wednesday resigned, the latest casualty of a drive by the interim government under the new Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed to "de-politicise" the administration.

"I have tendered my resignation letter to President Iajuddin Ahmed today," Ali told reporters without giving any reasons for the decision.

Law Ministry officials confirmed his resignation, which came two days after the controversial Chief Election Commision M A Aziz stepped down due to pressure from the interim government.

There was no statement from Bangabhaban Presidential Palace on whether his resignation was accepted but the development was widely expected after Fakhruddin Ahmed's address to the nation last week saying his non-party government had planned a series of steps to de-politicise the administration.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed's Awami League and its allies had been for long demanding Ali's resignation along with the reconstitution of the election commission as they claimed that the officials favoured Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Aziz, who earlier was on leave, resigned on Monday, two days after law advisor Moinul Hosein said the government wanted the election commissioners to resign "voluntarily" to pave ways for a free and credible election.

Bureau Report