42 eminent citizens write to President against CEC, ECs

Forty-two eminent citizens of the country have appealed to the President to constitute Supreme Judicial Council against the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).

Citing various financial irregularities, corruption and election-related serious offences, they sent an appeal to the President at Bangabhaban on December 14.

They also sought an appointment of the President to talk to him directly regarding their allegations against the CEC and ECs.

Lawyer Dr Shahdin Malik disclosed it through a virtual press conference in Dhaka on Saturday.

He also expressed the hope that “they (CEC and ECs) would come out as ‘offenders’ in investigation and the President would remove them from their posts.”

Dilip Sarker, central coordinator of Sushashoner Jannya Nagorik (Sujan) read out a written statement at the press conference.

Mentioning about the letter sent to the President, the statement raised several specific ‘grave offences and serious financial malpractices.’

The allegations include receiving more than Tk 2 crore by the ECs, alleged involvement in taking Tk 4.08 crore in the name of appointing employees at the Election Commission, using three cars by each of the ECs and involvement in corruption of buying EVM machines.

Supreme Court lawyer Dr Shahdin Malik sent the letter to the President on behalf of 42 eminent citizens. The letter was signed by Professor Emeritus Sirajul Islam Chowdhury, retired Comptroller and Auditor General and former Caretaker Government adviser M Hafiz Uddin Khan, retired Cabinet Secretary and former Caretaker Government adviser Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former Caretaker Government advisers Sultana Kamal and Rasheda K Chowdhury, former Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Mazumder, human rights activist Hamida Hossain, economist Dr Moinul Islam, human rights activist Khushi Kabir, Central Women’s University VC Dr Parveen Hasan, Sujon secretary Dr Badiul Alam Mazumder, and TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, Shahidul Alam, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Prof Anu Mohammed, Dr CR Abrar, Prof Tofail Ahmed, Prof Asif Nazrul, Dilip Sarker and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, among others.