Independence of the EC
Shaila Solaiman, Jahangirnagar University Campus, Savar, Dhaka
According to the constitution of Bangladesh the Election Commission shall be independent in the exercise of its functions and subject only to the constitution and any other law (Article-118(4).But it is a hoax. In reality the EC secretariat is attached to the office of the prime minister. As a result, the EC has no absolute control over the secretariat and its staff as well. Boundless power of the returning officer(Deputy Commissioner) and interference of the executive organ hamper its independence. Returning officers are mainly responsible for publishing election results. But we have seen that they were influenced by the incumbent government and political parties. In the broader national interest, independence of the Election Commission should be ensured in the true sense. Moreover, for holding free, fair and credible elections the independence of the EC is indispensable. In this connection, I would like to thank the present caretaker government that finally they have initiated the process of separating the EC secretariat from the PMO.
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