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For 18 years there has been a ‘war’ to enshrine voting rights, he says
Published : 21 Nov 2024, 04:58 PM
New Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin says that the Election Commission cannot engage in any dishonesty after the 18-year war to safeguard voting rights culminated in the sacrifice of those martyred and wounded in the July uprising.
The CEC says that the new appointees will do all they can to ensure a free, fair, impartial, and acceptable election.
The new EC is to be sworn in by the chief justice once all the formalities are completed by the government.
“We can give an official reaction after all the formalities are complete,” Nasir said. “As we have been entrusted with this responsibility, we have to fulfil our duties properly with the cooperation of all concerned. Particularly after this massive uprising, where so many lives were lost, so much blood was shed, so many people were injured or disabled. A war has been fought for voting rights for 18 years. We cannot be dishonest in the face of all the blood shed.”
"In Sha Allah [God willing], we will do all that we can to hold free, fair and credible elections.”
The 71-year-old Nasir was born on Jul 1, 1953 in Cox’s Bazar’s Kutubdia.
He completed his Master’s in Economics from Chittagong University before being joined as a teacher in 1977-78.
He was appointed to the administrative cadre in the BCS 1979 batch.
In 2004, he served as the information secretary. He has also held the posts of fuel secretary, a member of the Planning Commission, and the health secretary.
A search committee was formed on Oct 31 to nominate names for the Election Commission.
The search panel, led by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, asked for political parties, professional organisations, and interested persons to submit their recommendations to them by Nov 7.
The president has picked a name from the list submitted as the chief election commissioner and four others as election commissioners. They will all serve for a term of five years.
The interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus is attempting to bring about many state reforms. The 13th national parliamentary election is to be held after these reforms are complete. The ‘timeline’ for the polls depends on a ‘minimum consensus’ of the political parties, the interim government has said.
The Nasir-led commission will take over from the one led by Kazi Habibul Awal. The Awal-led commission was formed in 2022 and dissolved on Sept 5 this year, within a month of the fall of the Awami League government.
The other news members of the election regulatory body are Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, a retired additional secretary, Abdur Rahmanel Masud, a district and sessions judge, Tahmida Ahmad, a retired joint secretary, and retired Brig Gen Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah.
THE PREVIOUS CHIEF COMMISSIONERS
Nasir is the 14th individual to take on the post of chief election commissioner. The previous commissioners are:
Kazi Habibul Awal, who served from Feb 27, 2022 to Sept 5, 2024
KM Nurul Huda, who served from Feb 15, 2017 to Feb 14, 2022
Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, who served from Feb 9, 2012 to Feb 9, 2017
Dr ATM Shamsul Huda, who served from Feb 5, 2007 to Feb 5, 2012
Justice MA Aziz, who served from May 23, 2005 to Jan 21, 2007
MA Sayed, who served from May 23, 2000 to May 22, 2005
Mohammad Abu Hena, who served from Apr 9, 1996 to May 8, 2000
Justice AJM Sadeq, who served from Apr 27, 1995 to Apr 6, 1996
Justice Md Abdur Rouf, who served from Dec 25, 1990 to Apr 18, 1995
Justice Sultan Hossain Khan, who served from Feb 17, 1990 to Dec 24, 1990
Justice Chowdhury ATM Masud, who served from Feb 17, 1985 to Feb 17, 1990
Justice AKM Nurul Islam, who served from Jul 8, 1977 to Feb 17, 1985
Justice M Idris, who served from Jul 7, 1972 to Jul 7, 1977
