‘Take legal action against the EC’
Ten Supreme Court lawyers yesterday submitted an application to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for taking appropriate legal action over the allegations against the Election Commission including the chief election commissioner (CEC) of causing a loss of Tk 7.47 crore of the state in the name of training allowance.
The lawyers led by Mohammad Shishir Manir handed over the application to the ACC office requesting it to conduct investigation and lodge a case against the CEC, election commissioners, EC secretary, just retired EC secretary and other government officials responsible for the loss of the state money.
Citing a report published in the daily Jugantor on January 3, they said in the application that Tk 7.47 crore has been spent for the "special speakers", "course directors" and "course advisers" for the training programmes without approval from the finance ministry and the rules of the Election Commission.
Other nine lawyers, who signed the application, are Md Asad Uddin, Mohammad Mujahidul Islam, Md Zobaidur Rahman, Md Abdus Sabur Dewan, Al Reza Md Amin, Abdullah Hil Maruf Fahim, Md Mujahidur Rahman, M Mustafizur Rahman and Md Zahirul Islam.
Earlier on December 14 last year, 42 distinguished citizens urged the president to constitute Supreme Judicial Council to investigate allegations of corruption and other misconduct against the EC. The SJC comprises the chief justice and two other senior-most judges of the Appellate Division to probe the allegations against SC judges, the EC and other constitutional bodies, and recommend removal of individuals involved in the allegations.
In the letter, the citizens mentioned that the EC members, under KM Nurul Huda's leadership, committed misconduct and irregularities, including spending Tk 2 crore for delivering speeches as "special speakers" and Tk 8.08 crore in recruiting staffers for the commission.
The eminent citizens include Prof Serajul Islam Chowdhury, M Hafizuddin Khan, Dr Akbar Ali Khan, Advocate Sultana Kamal, Ali Imam Mazumder, Dr Hameeda Hossain, Prof Moinul Islam, Khushi Kabir, Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar, Dr Shahdeen Malik, Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Dr Shahidul Alam, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Prof Anu Mohammed, Dr CR Abrar, Prof Tofail Ahmed, Prof Asif Nazrul, Dilip Sarker and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua.
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