Staff Reporter :
The civil society, political parties and election experts smell rat for quick steps of government in forming new law about appointment of CEC and EC as it was cleared by cabinet and placed in the Parliament in shortest possible time.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Sunday said the much-hyped Bill on reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) that has been placed in the Parliament just looks to be for a search committee formation.
“Experts are saying the Bill that was tabled in parliament today (Sunday) looks like a draft law for a search committee,” said BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Speaking at a doa mahfil, he said the Bill will not be a law, once it is passed, for the formation of the Election Commission. “So, the draft bill was placed in Baksali parliament just to constitute a search committee.”
On the other hand, BNP MP Harunur Rashid said the placed law for EC did not meet the republic’s people, political parties and civil societies.
He said that at the end of the tenure of the incumbent EC, a case should be filed against them for destroying the electoral system of Bangladesh, and also for corruption.
He made the remarks while discussing on the point of order during the Sunday parliamentary session.
MP Harun said I would like to say with great concern that the last two election commissions – Huda and Rakib – formed through this search committee have questioned the electoral system in a way that is unprecedented.
Over the issue, Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN), Citizens for Good Governance Secretary Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar said even if the Election Commission fails to hold a fair election, it can prevent a disputed election. Their role is crucial.
He further said the government has drafted a bill without any discussion with anyone, to form an election commission like theirs.
Former EC Commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain said according to the draft law on the appointment of the Election Commission, no one has the opportunity to know the names suggested by the search committee. This may raise questions about transparency. The bigger issue is that there are questions about whether it will go to the President at all in the process.
