Eminent citizens' allegations baseless: EC Shahadat
Election commissioner Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury has termed the allegations brought against the commission by 42 eminent citizens as baseless.
He said the allegations might have been derived from ill-motives but they will not try to look for any connections regarding it.
The commissioner said that while talking to newsmen at his office on Sunday.
42 eminent citizens of the country demanded a Supreme Judicial Council probe into the allegations of financial irregularities and misconduct by the present election commission (EC) headed by KM Nurul Huda. They have submitted an appeal to president Md Abdul Hamid in this regard.
Asked on this issue, EC Shahadat said they have nothing to say about allegations. It is up to the president to take a decision in this regard as the eminent citizens approached him.
The people will judge whether the citizens breached ethics by bringing out the allegations, he added.
Replying to a separate question, Shahadat Hossain maintained that the incumbent EC is trying their best to ensure elections are conducted in a free, fair and credible manner.
At a virtual press briefing held Saturday, the citizens alleged that the members of the EC had been involved in impeachable offences such as serious financial corruption and irregularities.
The allegations made in the appeal submitted to the president, included financial irregularities which had been reported in the media, the allegations made by an election commissioner Mahbub Talukdar about the financial irregularities of the Chief Election Commissioner in the appointment of staff, three election commissioners using three official vehicles unlawfully, irregularities in the procurement and use of the EVMs, misconduct in conducting the eleventh parliamentary elections, and more.
Speaking at the press briefing, Supreme Court lawyer Shadeen Malik said that an investigation should be conducted through the Supreme Judicial Council into the irregularities, corruption and misconduct regarding the elections. They hoped that based on the investigations, the present election commission would be removed.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Iftekharuzzaman said direct financial corruption had never surfaced against the EC in the past. He urged that alongside the president, the prime minister also take these matters into cognizance.
He also hoped that the election commission would step aside from its responsibilities voluntarily until the results of the investigation came in.
SHUJAN secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said they brought these allegations lawfully and in keeping with the constitution.
It was necessary for the EC to step down on its own accord, he added.