CHT Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan resigns

Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Dipen Dewan has resigned on Monday after the Eid holidays.

He tendered his resignation letter to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday, according to source at The Prime Minister's Press Wing.

The source said that Dipen Dewan resigned due to physical illness.

In his resignation letter, Dipen Dewan wrote, "Since assuming office, I have been suffering from various physical complications. Due to my physical illness, many problems are arising in performing the regular duties of the ministry. I feel it is necessary to resign from my current post in the interest of the development and increasing the dynamics of the administrative work of the current government."

63-year-old Dipen Dewan was the BNP candidate for the Rangamati Hill Tracts constituency in the 13th parliamentary election. He won with the largest margin of votes among the elected members of parliament.

Dipen became a minister after becoming a member of parliament for the first time. His father Subimal Dewan was President Ziaur Rahman's tribal affairs adviser.

Dipen left his job as a joint district judge in 2005 and joined the BNP. He became the president of Rangamati district BNP in 2010. Since 2016, he has served as the joint secretary for religious affairs of the central BNP.