Search Committee for EC: BNP expresses reservation about five members
The BNP yesterday alleged that the search committee formed for constitution of the next Election Commission was not neutral as five out of its six members were controversial.
The party said it would decide whether to accept or reject the committee once the new EC is formed.
“The inclusion in the search committee of those faithful to the Awami family and awarded by the government for helping fulfil its desires has not only made it controversial, but also set another undemocratic example of ignoring public opinion,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a press conference at the party's Nayapaltan central office.
The press meet was organised to give the party's formal reaction to the formation of the search committee.
Fakhrul said there was no scope for considering the committee to be non-partisan and neutral as it was formed with such members.
“It would be insanity to expect that non-partisan, impartial, honest, brave and competent persons would be made the chief or commissioners of the next Election Commission by such a search committee,” he added.
Headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain of the Supreme Court, the committee is expected to hold its maiden meeting at the SC today, sources said.
Five other members of the committee are Justice Obaidul Hassan of the High Court; Muhammed Sadique, chairman of Bangladesh Public Service Commission; Masud Ahmed, comptroller and auditor general of Bangladesh; Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, trustee board member of Transparency International Bangladesh; and Shireen Akhter, pro-vice chancellor of Chittagong University.
Formed on January 25 by President Abdul Hamid, the search committee was asked to submit recommendations to the president in 10 working days. This panel will recommend two names each for the posts of the chief election commissioner and four commissioners, including a woman.
The tenure of the incumbent EC will expire next month. The new EC will oversee the next general election due in early 2019.
The BNP secretary general at the press conference called upon people to remain alert to the government's “any probable plot to influence the next parliamentary election and to get united to force it to hold a neutral election”.
Asked whether his party was rejecting the search committee, Fakhrul said it was not time to accept or reject it. “This question can arise once the Election Commission is formed.”
About the search committee chief, he said Justice Mahmud was the chief of the search panel formed by late president Zillur Rahman in 2012 which recommended names for constituting an “incompetent, subservient, spineless and controversial EC”.
“Making him the head of the new search committee means the government wants to form another loyal and incompetent Election Commission like the one led by Rakibuddin Ahmad,” he told journalists.
Fakhrul questioned the neutrality of Justice Obaidul saying that he was a former central leader of Chhatra League and was known as a pro-Awami League lawyer.
Justice Obaidul's father was an AL leader and his brother is the prime minister's personal secretary, added the BNP leader.
Criticising the inclusion of the PSC chairman in the search panel, he said Sadique was the EC secretary during the controversial national election on January 5, 2014.
“After retirement, he was made the PSC chairman on political consideration as a reward for legalising the election full of irregularities.”
Fakhrul said it is usual that Sadique would try to fulfil “the government's desires as he is grateful to it and known as a former pro-AL bureaucrat”.
He also claimed that Shireen Akhter was not an impartial person as she was elected a member of Chittagong University Teachers Association as a pro-AL teacher.
“Her father late Afsar Kamal Chowdhury was the founder president of Cox's Bazar district Awami League while she herself was the leader of Cox's Bazar Mohila Awami League. So, she in no way can be considered to be a neutral person.”
About Comptroller and Auditor General Masud Ahmed, Fakhrul said being a public servant, he will not be able to do anything against the will of a political government.
He, however, did not make any comment about Syed Manzoorul Islam.
Fakhrul said the president “ignored” the rational proposals of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and other parties on formation of the search panel which were submitted to the president during the month-long talks with him.
MINISTER BLASTS BNP
Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday came down hard on the BNP for being critical of the search committee.
Addressing a programme in Brahmanbaria, he said: “Those who are critical of the search committee have the habit of politicising.”
He claimed the committee was neutral.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said no members of the committee were involved with the AL.
Foreign countries should not interfere in formation of the search committee, Quader, also the AL general secretary, said at a rally in Bogra.
“Are we a backboneless nation? Those days are over. Many countries now honour us. It is the president's jurisdiction to decide that with whom he would meet. Foreign countries don't need to interfere in this regard. None from outside has the right to interfere in our internal matters,” he added.
His comments came a day after several media outlets reported that envoys of some Western countries were not being able to have an appointment with the president to discuss his initiative on formation of the EC.
AL Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif urged the BNP to keep faith in the president's initiative and not to get involved in any unnecessary debate over the issue.
“Keep confidence in the president.... He will constitute an Election Commission which would be acceptable to all,” Hanif told a discussion in the capital.
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