Connect with us

Politics

Search committee discloses 322 names proposed for EC: Ex-bureaucrats figure high

Published

on

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Search Committee on forming the next Election Commission (EC) on Monday published a list of 322 names proposed by different parties, organisations and individuals. 

The list includes dozens of well-known faces, but it did not mention which names were proposed by whom. 

The list, revealed on the website of the Cabinet Division, named 61 former secretaries, 18 retired army officials including two army chiefs, 15 justices including two chief justices. Besides, it names police officials including two inspector general of police, university teachers, lawyers, human rights activists and those who have served different crucial institutions.

The most well-known faces are: former Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, former cabinet secretary Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, former minister for religious affairs and water resources M Nazim Uddin Al Azad, an adviser to the former caretaker government and current president of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) Sultana Kamal, Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Founder Prof Abdullah Abu Sayeed, noted author Prof Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, former Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain, former Dhaka University vice-chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique, former Chief Information Commissioner Prof Golam Rahman, journalist Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, film actor and Nirapad Sarak Chai (Nischa) founder Ilias Kanchan, former election commissioner M Shakhawat Hossain, journalist Ajay Dasgupta, Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) General Secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, eminent jurist Dr Shahdeen Malik, former Begum Rokeya University Vice-Chancellor Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, noted economist Dr Ahsan Mansur, noted fashion designer Bibi Russell, Research Initiatives Bangladesh (RIB) Executive Director Dr Meghna Guhathakurta, adviser to a former caretaker government Rasheda K Chowdhury, noted educator and author Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, economist Binayak Sen, Bangla Academy director and writer Selina Hossain, dean of Dhaka University Social Science faculty Sadeka Halim, former Bangladesh Ambassador to London MA Hannan, former Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman, former Chief of Army Staff Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan and former inspector general of police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Haque.

Advertisement

The search committee disclosed the names in just 15 days after its formation as it was in a hurry to form a new Election Commission. The tenure of the commission led by KM Nurul Huda ended Monday.

“The way of publishing the names is not convincing,” said Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, a former election commissioner. 

The list included many people who had no idea about the election system, which was very illogical, he told The Business Standard, adding that such a process of forming election commissions was rare in the world.

He said the published list of 322 names had little importance. “The committee will submit 10 names to the president, which is very important and needs prior announcement.” 

Tofail Ahmed, a local government expert, said the committee published the list to inform people about the proposed names it received from different political parties.

Advertisement

“Who proposed whom is not important,” he told daily frontline, adding that mentioning the parties who proposed the names would mark a tag on the potential EC office bearers.

“The list is not the final one. The Search Committee will look for eligible ones on its own. It can finalise anyone, even out of the published list. It is the committee’s decision.”

“From the previous experience, we believe the prime minister and the president would finalise the EC,” he added. 

Eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik said, “We (eminent citizens) suggested that the names should be revealed with the names of parties that proposed them. The way the names have been disclosed lacks transparency.” 

He also said if all the political parties only propose people from whom they could get favour, a proper EC cannot be formed. 

Advertisement

However, Shahdeen Malik lauded the move of disclosing names saying this was “better than nothing.” 

Earlier on 6 February, the committee issued a notice, seeking names to form the next election commission. It also sent letters to the registered political parties for submitting names. The committee received 329 names of candidates till Monday 5pm. 

However, the past search committees, formed in 2012 and 2017, did not disclose the proposed names despite demands from political parties.

The invited citizens at the search committee meeting called for selecting individuals who were honest, competent, brave and believed in the spirit of the liberation war.

The search committee has disclosed the names of 322 people, proposed for serving as the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners in the new Election Commission.

Advertisement

The complete list of the proposed candidates has been given below:

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Politics

Vast majority of Bangladeshis want good relations with neighbours: FM tells South Asia Correspondents

Published

on

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said the vast majority of the people of Bangladesh now understand that it should have good relations with neighbours – for its own prosperity as well as that of the region.

He said his party (Bangladesh Awami League) is painted as a ‘pro-Indian’ party but AL is a pro-Bangladeshi party.

“There are anti-Indian elements. We specifically see this issue during elections. But the anti-Indian sentiment is gradually diminishing in Bangladesh,” he told the members of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia during an interaction in New Delhi on February 9.

The Foreign Minister said the tablet or capsule of blaming Awami League as a pro-India party does not work anymore like the past.

Advertisement

“Today, the vast majority of the people understand that for the prosperity of Bangladesh and the region, neighbours should have good relations,” he said while responding to a question.

Asked about balancing relations, the Foreign Minister said Bangladesh-India relationship is not comparable to any other relations.

“Bangladesh’s relations with India are bonded by blood and shared sacrifice during the War of Liberation in 1971,” Hasan said.

He said although China is not Bangladesh’s immediate neighbor but it is a neighbor and a development partner of Bangladesh.

The Foreign Minister said they face a lot of challenges due to the wave of fake news. He said this is a problem even in Europe and shared how fake news was spread during Covid-19.

Advertisement

He mentioned that this is an area where all need to work together. “We can work together to fight against fake news.”

Continue Reading

Politics

Last national election was open for all AL members for sake of democracy: PM Hasina

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday (9 Februay) said if she did not allow her party members to take part in last month’s election as independent candidates the democracy of the country would have been snatched away.

“If the election was not open for all (AL members), then not only the election would have been stained, the democracy of the country would have been hijacked too,” she said.

The prime minister was delivering her introductory speech at the extended meeting of Awami League at her official residence Ganabhaban.

This election was important to maintain the country’s status as a developing country, she said.

Advertisement

“We should not forget the election manifesto that we announced before the election to retain this achievement. Every year during the budget formulation we follow the election manifesto,” she said.

Hasina, also the chief of ruling Awami League, said that her party has also opened the upcoming upazila elections for all her party members to make it participatory.

“It will also be scrutinised how much work has been done for the common people in the last 15 years while in power, and who could not deliver. Through it we will see who is accepted by the people,” she said.

She issued warning against any sort of confrontation in the upcoming local government elections.

“We do not want any kind of confrontation. Stern actions will be taken against the individuals responsible for it no matter who they are,” she said.

Advertisement

Claiming that the 12th parliamentary election was free, fair and impartial, Hasina said that those who want to dispute the election, they must give clear evidence.

She said that elections have been held in many developed countries of the world, but these are yet to be accepted by their opponents.

“Even the post-election violence has resulted in murders. But the election in Bangladesh was very fair. Public administration, the armed forces, law and order enforcement and all those involved in the election have performed their duties impartially,” she claimed

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Political crisis nearing climax: Rizvi

Published

on

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The BNP today said the country’s long-standing political crisis is now nearing its climax as people are taking to the streets risking their lives to resist a one-sided election.

“The chief election commissioner surrendered to Sheikh Hasina instead of protecting the interests of the people and taking proper steps to ensure a free, fair, and participatory election,” Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, senior joint secretary general of the party, said in a virtual press conference.

The BNP leader alleged that the EC announced the schedule for the next election ignoring the continuous movement for free and fair elections.

Rizvi also alleged that the commission announced the election schedule on the instruction of the government, ignoring the appeals of the country’s civil society, the international community, and foreign diplomats.

Advertisement

“When the CEC announced the schedule, he should have also mentioned the time of voting, whether it will be at night, or during the daytime, or early morning.”

The BNP leader said the government has established a regime where those who demand free and fair elections are being attacked.

He said their ongoing movement to restore the power and rights of the people will be a warning for all the autocrats.

Rizvi said the BNP leaders and activists are being arrested indiscriminately. “If they [law enforcers] can’t detain them, they are arresting their fathers, fathers-in-law, younger brothers, and even women in the house.”

He said law enforcers arrested more than 12,900 leaders and activists in 289 cases across the country since October 28.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2021 Daily Frontline. Bangladesh Independent Daily. e-mail:dailyfrontlinebd@gmail.com