Jamaat demands cancellation of EC additional secretary's appointment
The party alleges the contract appointment compromises the Election Commission's neutrality.
Highlights
- Jamaat questions neutrality of EC official's appointment
- Calls for immediate cancellation of contract appointment
- Alleges political appointments undermine state institutions
- Urges local government elections instead of appointed administrators
- Raises concern over worsening law and order
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has demanded the immediate cancellation of the appointment of Election Commission Secretariat Additional Secretary Md Shamsul Alam, alleging that the contract appointment is politically biased and undermines the neutrality of the constitutional body.
The demand was made by the party's Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar at an emergency press conference held at the Al-Falah Auditorium in Moghbazar today (28 July).
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Porwar said the Election Commission is a highly sensitive constitutional institution whose credibility depends on complete neutrality and public confidence.
"Recently, Md Shamsul Alam was appointed on a contractual basis as an additional secretary to the Election Commission Secretariat. He previously held an important position in a committee of the BNP. Assigning an active political figure to such a sensitive institution is a serious betrayal of the principles of free, fair and impartial elections," he said.
He urged the government to immediately revoke what he described as the "controversial and biased" appointment and ensure that only widely acceptable and politically neutral individuals are appointed to the Election Commission and other constitutional institutions in the future.
Porwar also alleged that the government had failed to fulfil its commitments on state reform, constitutional reform and depoliticisation before the election.
"Instead, appointments to government, autonomous and constitutional institutions are being made on political considerations, raising questions about their neutrality and credibility," he said.
He criticised appointments to district councils, city corporations, development authorities, public corporations and other key institutions on the basis of political affiliation.
The Jamaat leader also called on the government to hold local government elections instead of continuing the practice of appointing administrators, saying local government institutions should be run by elected representatives in accordance with the Constitution.
He urged the authorities to arrange free, fair, impartial and credible local government elections.
Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, Porwar said the rise in killings and other crimes had created deep public anxiety and called on the government to take effective measures to ensure public safety.
