Search committee makes parties aggrieved, optimistic [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Search committee makes parties aggrieved, optimistic

Local January 26, 2017

A number of political parties on Wednesday reacted to the formation of the search committee by president Abdul Hamid in order to find out neutral people to constitute a new Election Commission.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party was aggrieved over what it said the pro-government six-member search committee while other parties came up with mixed reactions.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they are not only ‘frustrated’ but also was ‘aggrieved’ over the search committee formed by president, Abdul Hamid.
‘The president has given us an extreme example of neutrality! We are not only frustrated but also aggrieved. The entire search committee is selection of Awami League government,’ Fakhrul said while addressing a discussion.
Bangladesh Labour Party, a component of BNP-led alliance, organised the discussion at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity to mark January 25 as ‘Democracy Killing Day’.
Justifying his remarks that the entire search committee is a choice of the incumbent government, he
said this government appointed the chairman of the public service commission, comptroller and auditor general and pro-vice-chancellor of Chittagong University as members of the search committee.
He quoted Chittagong University pro-vice-chancellor Shireen Akhter’s reaction given to a private TV as saying, ‘now the country is being run with the ideals of Bangabandhu and what responsibility would be given to me by his (Bangabandhu) competent daughter Sheikh Hasina, I (Shireen) would carry out that responsibility considering it as a sacred duty.’
Fakhrul said: ‘So it can be understood what type of neutral search committee has been formed.’
Fakhrul said BNP considered the president as the ultimate institution and that the institution is the biggest guardian of the state.
‘We always expected from him a neutral decision,’ he said.
He said it is unfortunate for them and the nation that a scope was created to get rid of the prevailing political crisis but the president spoiled the opportunity.
Fakhrul said BNP is not sure what type of election commission would be formed by this search committee and that once again the nation is pushed towards another ‘uncertainty’ and ‘instability’.
Meanwhile, Jatiya Party co-chairman GM Quader termed the six-member search committee ‘not bad’.
He expressed his hope that the search committee would recommend names of neutral and competent persons to be employed as Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners.
Socialist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Khalequzzaman said they proposed for formation of a search committee with representatives of all registered political parties to make it acceptable to all.
He said that his party would give reaction on the search committee after studying the statements of the committee members.
Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Syed Abu Zafar Ahmed declined making any comments but said that they had proposed for enactment of a law before appointing the CEC and other commissioners.
Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal faction president Hasanul Haq Inu and its general secretary Shirin Akhter in a statement welcomed the formation of a search by the president.
They hoped that the search committee would help reconstitute a strong and acceptable Election Commission by recommending the names of neutral and competent persons as the CEC and other commissioners.