Bangladesh News

After 20 days of taking oath, the advisers to the caretaker government (CG) are now feeling frustrated with it, saying that so far the CG has failed to create an environment suitable for a free and fair election.

The transfers and postings of government officials and employees so far also failed to impress any body, they said adding that none of the transfers are related to officials who will perform election duties.

They admitted that they failed to resolve the political crisis springing from the popular demand for resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) MA Aziz and said only the president can solve the crisis.

Adviser Dr Akbar Ali Khan yesterday urged all the people of the country including the civil society to step forward for bringing sense into the rival political alliances to save the country from getting lost in darkness.

He was talking to the media after an hour and 45 minutes long meeting with three other advisers — CM Shafi Sami, Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury and Mahbubul Alam to discuss the country’s situation yesterday at the secretariat.

Finance Adviser Akbar Ali Khan told journalists, “Nobody can be happy with a piecemeal solution of appointing two more commissioners to the Election Commission.”

Only the president has the power to take actions regarding restructuring the Election Commission (EC), he said adding, the advisers have no power in this regard.

“At the advisory council meeting Saturday, we told the chief adviser that the tension will not be dissipated by merely taking some measures. There is a question of creating an environment and we have recommended in favour of that,” Khan quipped, adding that regarding the EC, it was decided at the meeting that the president will take a decision all by himself.

He noted that there had been a lot of transfers and postings recently. “But none of the transfers or postings accommodated the suggestions made by 14-party coalition,” Khan said adding, “On the other hand, even four-party alliance and the donors are also raising questions about these transfers.”

“The government employees and officials are also expressing their grievances about such transfers and postings,” he said.

“This cannot help to create an environment for a good election,” Khan pointed out adding, “A measure that fails to make anyone happy cannot bring in a good result.”

Akbar Ali Khan described the magnitude of the current crisis. The advisers have no control over the areas which are under the president’s jurisdiction, he said. The political parties are also run by the country’s biggest personalities over whom the advisers have no control either, he added.

“This situation demands that the political parties resolve the crisis themselves,” he said.

On the question whether the advisers would resign, given their limited authority to resolve the crisis, Akbar Ali Khan said, “I don’t know what I would do. But I have no fascination for this job. I do not take anything from the government other than the car and the security. I don’t wish to take anything else. I will try my best to carry out my tasks but the result is not guaranteed.”

He noted that he was closely involved with two past caretaker governments. “The advisers in the past held meetings jointly everyday. But this is not happening now. If we can’t sit together how are we to take quick decisions?”

Khan pointed out that when 10 advisers held their first meeting in the state guest house Padma, the political parties started terming it as a ‘conspiracy’. “If they call it a conspiracy we simply cannot work,” he added.

Unlike the problems faced by previous caretaker governments, the present problems are more complex. As a result, a solution proposed a few days after the emergence of a problem is failing to solve it. That’s why the problems should be resolved right away, he suggested.

“I would be happy if I could speak with more optimism. I would request all, including the advisers and the civil society, to urge the political parties to resolve the crisis,” Akbar Ali Khan said.

AL-led 14-party coalition had proposed three ways for removing MA Aziz from the EC. One is to form a Supreme Judicial Council for Aziz’s removal on ground of publicly lying (about being requested by the caretaker government to step down), the second is to send him on a forced leave, and the third is to remove him asserting executive power on the basis of a precedent set by a verdict of the Indian High Court regarding a chief election commissioner there. The advisers found that not all of them are legally applicable, but one of them is, which will take a long time to implement. “The best option is his voluntary resignation,” Akbar noted.

“The constitution does not provide any other solution. But the president, if needed, can consult the Supreme Court for other actions,” he said.

“The administration may try to conduct the election. Back in 1996 that had happened. Like other people of the country, we will observe to see what happens next,” he added.

Power and Energy Adviser Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury said, “We discussed formation of Supreme Judicial Council, forced leave, sending him to hajj but these cannot be executed in accordance with the constitution.”

He said, “Adviser Justice Md Fazlul Haq suggested that Aziz’s lying cannot be brought to court as a gross misconduct.”

Although he himself and another adviser had met Aziz conveying the caretaker government’s request to step down, Aziz flatly denied being requested.

“What can we do when the particular person is not responding and his conscience is also not working,” Mashhud questioned.

The power adviser admitted that the outcome of the advisers’ effort to end the existing crisis is very poor. “The outcome of our efforts to bring an end to the crisis is very poor. If we had a common ground it would be better for all,” he added.

He said the country is in a critical juncture and the next two days will determine the fate of the country.

Mashhud said with optimism that all political parties will accept the ‘package of solution’ the president is preparing and they will participate in the next general election.

“We decided unanimously to add two new election commissioners to reconstitute the Election Commission,” he said, expressing his hopes that all political parties will realise the fact that the EC cannot be reconstituted in a way acceptable to all.

He said the advisers hope that the president’s upcoming speech will offer a solution to end the stalemate between the rival political alliances. But he added that the president’s speech might not bring ‘any miracle’ due to constitutional limitations.

He however said the president is supposed to address the nation today but it might also be deferred.

Replying to a question he said whether a political party is participating in the election is not the main issue. “The issue is whether the election is acceptable to all,” Mashhud pointed out.