Allegations of various irregularities against the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners were formed by the Supreme Judicial Council and the President again took action subject to investigation. 42 prominent citizens of the country have given letters to Abdul Hamid. Supreme Court lawyer signed the letter on their behalf. Shahuddin Malik.
The information was given on Sunday. Earlier also these prominent citizens had given letters. In this letter, they have added some additional information in support of the allegations brought against the commission. This information has been published in print and electronic media at different times.
A second letter was sent to the President on January 17. Earlier, in the first phase of the letter dated December 14, it had demanded action against the CEC and other commissioners for serious misconduct and financial irregularities related to the elections. They requested the Supreme Judicial Council to be constituted under Article 96 of the Constitution to investigate the allegations against the EC and take action.
The first letter said, "Only the Supreme Judicial Council, in accordance with Article 96 of the Constitution, can summon from the Election Commission and other authorities all the necessary documents, records and documents required to prove this allegation."
In response to the letter, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda told reporters that blaming the EC for making statements by prominent citizens was unwelcome and unacceptable at all.
This time the letter was sent as an attachment to the first petition to assist the President in making a decision. The letter was accompanied by a copy of a series of seven episodes of the private channel Baishakhi on allegations of irregularities and corruption in the money allocated for the training of the Election Commission. Added, copies of several media reports on audit objections raised by the Office of the Auditor General and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on the same subject.
The first letter said, "I look forward to meeting with you (the President) at a convenient time to inform you (42 citizens) of our grievances face to face." In 2019, a series of seven episodes on financial irregularities was aired on Boishakhi Television. The report alleges that some high-ranking officials, including the Chief Election Commissioner, four other commissioners, secretaries and directors general of training institutes, were given unfair and unethical financial benefits by creating 15 'controversial' posts, including special speakers, course advisors, course directors, course coordinators and assistant coordinators.
The report alleges that a few officers misappropriated Tk 11 crore from the training budget in 2018-19. The report further said that only 18 officials, including the CEC and four other commissioners, the secretary of the Election Commission and the head of the training institute, have taken at least Tk 3.5 crore. In a statement published in the report, the current secretary of the commission also questioned the policy aspect of sharing such money.
In a letter to prominent citizens, Supreme Court lawyer Shahdin Malik said the Election Commission was created as a constitutionally independent body so that it could function independently and impartially. The Commission has set up a secretariat free from the control of the Prime Minister's Office, not to turn it into an arbitrary body or to distribute the people's tap money in a fancy way by abusing power; Rather to perform constitutional duties impartially for the welfare of the people.
The letter further said that the constitutional responsibility of the commission is to conduct fair, neutral and acceptable elections. The media reports that the audit has raised objections to the extremely heinous act of corruption in which billions of rupees are shared in the name of training the people through abuse of power. And double-dipping in the language of the law for taking advantage of the same work twice, which is unjust, immoral and serious financial misconduct.
The link to the report and CD on the report aired on Boishakhi Television and published on YouTube has been attached to the application, the letter said. In addition, links and copies of some recently published reports, editorials and sub-editorials on corruption in the Election Commission and related audit objections have been attached. These documents will help the President decide to take action against the current Election Commission by investigating the formation of the Supreme Judicial Council.
The letter further said that only a proper investigation by the Supreme Judicial Council can prove the veracity of the allegations of 42 citizens.
The letter was sent directly to the President's Office through the carrier, said Shahuddin Malik. He said they do not have the power to prove any irregularities or corruption. Only the Supreme Judicial Council or the ACC can do that.
Among the 42 people who signed the letter were Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, former caretaker government adviser Akbar Ali Khan, human rights activist Hamida Hossain, former auditor general M Hafizuddin Khan, human rights activist Sultana Kamal and educationist Rasheda K Chowdhury.
The letter was further signed by former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, economist. Moinul Islam, human rights activist Khushi Kabir, Central Women's University Vice Chancellor Parveen Hasan, Sujan Secretary Badiul Alam Majumder, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman, former Dhaka University Professor Ahmed Kamal, local government expert Professor Tofail Ahmed, Supreme Court lawyer Z. I. Khan Photographer Shahidul Alam, Jahangirnagar University Professor Anu Muhammad, economist Ahsan Mansur and former secretary Abdul Latif Mandal.
Also signed by Architect Mobasher Hasan, Executive Director of Association for Land Reform and Development Shamsul Huda, Professor CR Abrar, Lawyer Sara Hossain, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Professor Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University, Professor Rehnuma Ahmed, Lubna Maryam Hossain, Akamak. , Swapan University of London Professor Swapan Adnan, Brati's Chief Executive Sharmin Murshid, Dhaka University Professor Geeti Ara Nasrin, BRAC University Professor Firdaus Azim.
The letter was signed by former banker Syed Abu Naser Bakhtiyar Ahmed, journalist Abu Saeed Khan, Golam Mortuza, Dhaka University Professor Robayet Ferdous, Professor Shahnaz Huda, Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua, Director of Clinical Neuroscience Center, Bangladesh Disability Foundation Khan. Chief Executive Zakir Hossain and human rights activist Nur Khan Liton.
