Bangladesh News

In a major reversal, President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday ordered the armed forces to remain on ’stand by’ but not to actively engage in law enforcement, pledging he would re-initiate moves to send two ‘controversial’ election commissioners on leave.

The decision came within two days of the resignation of four advisers to the caretaker government over their differences of opinion with the president regarding deployment of troops and his unwillingness to recast the Election Commission (EC) in line with the package proposal finalised by the council of advisers.

With the president and chief adviser’s approval, a full council of advisers’ meeting last night decided to re-initiate implementation of the package proposal for ending the political crisis by sending Election Commissioners SM Zakaria and Modabbir Hossain Chowdhury on leave.

“We will negotiate with the political parties and expect to see a solution to the crisis within the next three days,” newly appointed Adviser Shafiqual Haque Choudhury told The Daily Star, adding that they will re-negotiate the old package instead of looking for a new formula.

The president, consulting the council of advisers, decided that the armed forces will remain on ’stand by’ at places of their deployment and the regular law enforcement agencies will work to maintain law and order.

“The armed forces will not be used now to maintain law and order and they will take rest. Rather, the police and Bangladesh Rifles will work to maintain law and order,” Shafiqual, the acting official spokesman of the council of advisers, told reporters emerging form the council meeting.

The armed forces will start to do something in cases of severe violence and casualties, he said.

But the home ministry in a late night circular on December 9 said the president and chief adviser had ordered the deployment of the armed forces as its necessity had been felt for protecting lives and properties of the people, to keep alive the economic activities, to seize illegal weapons and to thwart terrorist activities.

The council of advisers in yesterday’s meeting discussed the law and order situation and directed the home ministry to ensure public security, protect properties of the public, and to send the latest decision of keeping the armed forces in their camps to all district administrations within the night.

Sources said the president also re-initiated a process of recasting the EC in line with the package proposal soon after accepting the resignation letters of the four erstwhile advisers.

“If both the parties agree, he would request Election Commissioners Zakaria and Modabbir to go on leave. I believe they will agree to go on leave if both the parties reach a consensus,” the president’s adviser quoted Iajuddin as telling the US ambassador yesterday at Bangabhaban.

Earlier, the president however had suddenly appeared opposed to the move of sending Election Commissioner Zakaria on a leave of absence.

Meanwhile, Election Commissioner Modabbir had met President Iajuddin before the council of advisers’ meeting yesterday evening. But he could not be contacted for his comments.

Non-implementation of the package proposal regarding reconstitution of the EC caused frustration among the advisers and the president’s unilateral move of ordering the deployment of the armed forces on December 9 prompted the four advisers to quit the interim cabinet.

The two resigned advisers–Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury and CM Shafi Sami–on Tuesday told the media that the chief adviser and all the ten advisers unanimously had agreed to the package proposal and signed on it, which includes reconstitution of the EC by sending the two election commissioners on leaves of absence and appointment of new election commissioners.

After the last meeting of the previous council on Saturday night, the chief adviser yesterday held a meeting of the new council to discuss the prevailing situation.

Before the first meeting of the new council, the newly appointed advisers on the first day of their office yesterday expressed optimism for resolving the political deadlock.

A newly appointed adviser yesterday however did come up with a new formula regarding reconstitution of the EC. Adviser Shafiqual Haque Choudhury on the first day of his office said ‘equilibrium’ is more important to the EC than ‘impartiality’.

“A fair election is possible even if the two election commissioners do not resign as demanded by 14-party coalition,” Shafiq said. “There is another way out–that is to bring equilibrium to the commission by appointing more commissioners,” he said.

Adviser Ruhul Alam Chowdhury said he took a ‘tough job’ to live up to national expectations. “We have to find a way out at any cost,” he told reporters at the energy ministry.

“I have enough self-confidence. I will continue my efforts relentlessly to overcome the present political impasse,” said the energy adviser.