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Published : 18 Nov 2024, 02:43 PM
The interim government has formed five new committees to oversee state reforms on the media, labour, women’s affairs, health and local government. Each committee will have a student representative, but the student nominees for the labour and local government reform commissions have yet to be announced.
The Chief Advisor’s Office announced that a notice had been issued with the proposed names of the members in line with the instructions of Muhammad Yunus, head of the interim government.
A summary sent out on Sunday said all the commissions would begin work immediately and submit reports to the Chief Advisor Yunus within 90 days. The offices and facilities of the members will be determined by the government. The members can also choose to work without pay. The provision of necessary information and assistance to the commissions will be mandatory.
National Professor AK Azad Khan will be the head of the Health Affairs Reform Commission, journalist Kamal Ahmed will lead the Media Reform Commission, Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed will head the Labour Rights Affairs Reform Commission, Shireen Huq will lead the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission and Tofael Ahmed will head the Local Government Reform Commission.
On Sept 11, Yunus addressed the nation and announced the names of six commission heads to lead state reform programmes. On Oct 17, Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan announced the government's decision to form a reform commission on four other issues, including health and media. Although the formation of a commission on local government reform was not announced that day, the summary prepared for the chief advisor also mentioned the formation of this commission.
MEDIA REFORM COMMISSION
The media reform commission headed by journalist Kamal Ahmed has Dhaka University professor of mass communication and journalism Gitiara Nasreen as a member, The Financial Express editor Shamsul Huq Zahid as the representative of the Editors’ Council, Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOWAB) Secretary Akhter Hossain Khan, Association of Television Owners (ATCO) Representative and former National Press Club general secretary Syed Abdal Ahmed, Jamuna Television CEO and Broadcast Journalist Center Trustee Fahim Ahmed, Media Support Network Convener and journalist Jimmy Amir, The Daily Star Bogura District Correspondent Mostofa Sabuj, The Business Standard Deputy Editor Titu Datta Gupta, and Abdullah Al Mamun as the student representative.
LABOUR RIGHTS REFORM COMMISSION
Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed, the executive director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, has been appointed as the head of the commission, while former secretary Mahfuzul Hoque, Rajshahi University Institute of Bangladesh Studies' Prof Zakir Hossain, President of Bangladesh Trade Union Central Chattogram Divisional Committee Tapan Dutta, former president of the Bangladesh Labour Court Bar Association Advocate AKM Nasim, former president of the Bangladesh Employers Federation Kamran T Rahman, President of Bangladesh Trade Union Association Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam, Bangladesh Labour Federation General Secretary Shakil Akhtar Chowdhury, photographer and labour movement organiser Taslima Akhtar and a student representative are also on the committee.
WOMEN'S AFFAIRS REFORM COMMISSION
Naripokkho founding member Shireen Huq leads the commission, while the members are Maheen Sultan, senior fellow of BRAC Institute of Governance and Development; Sara Hossain, executive director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust; Fawzia Karim Firoze, president of the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers Association; Kalpona Akter, president of the Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation; Halida Hanum Akhter, women's health specialist; Sumaiya Islam, executive director of Bangladesh Nari Sramik Kendra; Nirupa Dewan, former member of the National Human Rights Commission, Ferdousi Sultana, former senior social development advisor of Asian Development Bank, and student representative Nishita Zaman Niha.
HEALTH SECTOR REFORM COMMISSION
The members of the commission are: Prof AK Azad Khan (chief); president of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh; Professor Md Muhammad Zakir Hossain, Public Health and Health Informatics Department at BSMMU; Dr Liaquat Ali, chairman of Pothikrit Foundation; Dr Sayera Akther, a gynaecologist; Dr Naila Zaman Khan, a neurologist at the Department of Pediatric Neuroscience; MM Reza, former secretary; Dr Muzaherul Huq, former regional adviser (South-East Asia Region) at the WHO; Dr Azharul Islam, ICDDR,B; Dr Syed Md Akram Hossain, Square Cancer Centre, Square Hospital; Dr Syed Atiqul Haque, chief consultant of Green Life Centre for Rheumatic Care and Research; Dr Ahmed Ahsanur Rahman, scientist at ICDDR,B; and Omair Afif, a student of Dhaka Medical College.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM COMMISSION
The commission members are: Prof Tofail Ahmed, former chairman of Public Administration Department at Chattogram University; Prof Dr Ferdous Arfina Osman, former chairman of Public Administration Department at Dhaka University; AMM Nasir Uddin, a former secretary; Abdur Rahman, advocate of the Supreme Court; Dr Mahfuz Kabir, a director at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies; Mashuda Khatun Shefali, executive director of Nari Uddug Kendra; Prof Dr Md Tariqul Islam, a teacher of Government and Politics Department at Jahangirnagar University; and a student representative.
