Search Committee will bring no benefit at all: Akbar Ali Khan

GBNEWS24DESK//

Search Committee for the formation of Election Commission (EC) will yield no benefit, economist and former caretaker government adviser Dr Akbar Ali Khan has said.

He said political confrontation will determine the election-time government under which the next parliamentary election will be held. Search Committee will yield no benefit for the formation of the Election Commission. The Election Commission will be formed with the persons who are favourable to the government.

Akbar Ali Khan also remarked that the present KM Nurul Huda led Election Commission could hold better elections in the country applying the EC’s laws properly. But, it didn’t happen in reality.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a debate on “Role of the local government in ensuring good governance” at FDC in the capital on Saturday morning. It was chaired by Debate for Democracy chairman Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron.

Akbar Ali Khan said local government doesn’t exist in Bangladesh at all. The local government runs mainly under the control of central government. Local government doesn’t have the financial power. Salaries of people’s representatives and staffers mainly come from the allocation by the central government.

“In Bangladesh, central government is not an orphan. Rather, it is so powerful which doesn’t exist in anywhere of the world. Moreover, law allowing the members of parliament (MPs) as the adviser to the local government exists in Bangladesh only. Irregularities and complains against the local government are investigated by the ministry concerned. But, there should be an independent commission to do such investigations. There was a commission in the past, but it didn’t last longer. The existing laws should be amended to empower the local government,” he said.

Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury Kiron said transparency and accountability should be strengthened in the local government apart from empowering it. In such a case, formation of a powerful Election Commission is very important. The outgoing Nurul Huda led Commission could not hold acceptable elections.

In the debate competition, participants of Cumilla Victoria Government College won the debate defeating the Government Titumir College. The participants were given trophies and certificates.