Forty-two eminent citizens have submitted complaints to the president against the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners over their alleged involvement in different irregularities, including financial ones.
Addressing a virtual press conference on behalf of the 42 citizens, Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik said that they submitted the complaints to the president along with a letter, requesting him to constitute a Supreme Judicial Council.
Shusasoner Jonno Nagorik central coordinator Dilip Kumar Sarkar read out the letter which they submitted to the president Md Abdul Hamid.
‘You [president] are aware that Article 96(3) of the constitution of Bangladesh provides for the constitution of the Supreme Judicial Council for the removal of Judges. According to Article 96(5) of the constitution, ‘Where, upon any information received from the Council or from any other source, the President has reason to apprehend that a Judge may have been guilty of gross misconduct. The President may direct the Council to inquire into the matter and report its finding’,’ the letter stated.
‘You [president] are also aware that Article 118 of our Constitution provides for the constitution of the Election Commission. According to Article 118(5), ‘Subject to the provisions of any law made by parliament, the conditions of service of election commissioners shall be such as the president may, by order, determine: Provided that an election commissioner shall not be removed from his office except in the like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court’,’ the letter said.
It also said that the members of the present Bangladesh election commission, under the leadership of KM Nurul Huda, had been committing gross misconduct since taking office in February 2017.
It said that the CEC and other election commissioners had been involved in gross financial corruption and irregularities which were impeachable offenses.
They also committed gross misconduct by violating laws, rules and regulations, the letter said.
In the letter, the eminent citizens requested the president to take action over the alleged financial misconduct and irregularities committed by the CEC and other commissioners.
In the letter, the eminent citizens also urged the president to give them a schedule to meet him to talk about their allegations.
The 42 applicants are – Dhaka University professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, former caretaker government advisors M Hafizuddin Khan, Akbar Ali Khan, Sultana Kamal and Rasheda K Chowdhury, human rights activists Hameeda Hossain, Khushi Kabir and Nur Khan Liton, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Mazumder, Chittagong University former professor Muinul Islam, Central Women’s University vice-chancellor Parween Hassan, SHUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar, Transparency International Bangladesh executive director Iftekharuzzaman, Dhaka University former professors Ahmed Kamal and Akmal Hossain, local government expert Tofail Ahmed, Supreme Court lawyers ZI Khan Panna, Shahdeen Malik, Sara Hossain, Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Jyotirmoy Barua, photographer Shahidul Alam, Jahangirnagar University professor Anu Muhammad, economist Ahsan Mansur, former secretary Abdul Latif Mandal, former Institute of Architects Bangladesh president architect Mubasshar Hussain, Association for Land Reform and Development executive director Shamsul Huda, professor CR Abrar, Dhaka University professors Asif Nazrul, Gitiara Nasreen, Robaet Ferdous and Shahnaz Huda, professor Rahnuma Ahmed, Shadhona artistic director professor Lubna Marium, SOAS University of London professor and researcher Shapan Adnan, Brotee chief executive officer Sharmin Murshid, BRAC University professor Firdous Azim, former Agrani Bank managing director Syed Abu Naser Bakhtiyar Ahmed, senior journalists Abu Saeed Khan and Golam Mortoza, Clinical Neurosciences Centre, Bangladesh Protibondhi Foundation director Naila Zaman Khan, and Nagorik Uddyog chief executive Zakir Hossain.
They also said that a copy of the letter and complaint would be sent to the prime minister.
They suggested that the CEC and other commissioners should resign from their positions immediately.
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