EC to be formed with people loyal to govt: Akbar Ali Khan

Former adviser to the caretaker government Akbar Ali Khan has said the move to form a search committee through dialogue for the constitution of the election commission will not yield any results.

"The election commission will be formed with those who are loyal to the government," said Akbar Ali while addressing an event as the chief guest at Bangladesh Film Development Corporation on Saturday morning.

Debate for Democracy organised a shadow parliament on 'the role of local government to ensure good governance.

Akbar Ali Khan said under which government the next parliamentary election will be held will be determined through the political conflict.

The election commission will be formed from the list of people loyal to the government, he added.

Akbar Ali Khan, a former cabinet secretary, said the current election commission led by Nurul Huda could have applied the law properly and protect citizens' rights and held a fair election, but that didn't happen ultimately.

Mentioning that local government is not existing in a real sense, he said the local government is being mainly controlled by the central government.

The former bureaucrat said the local government has no financial power. Salaries of public representatives and employees come from the allocation of the central government.

Bangladesh central government is not an orphan, but more powerful than anywhere in the world, he said adding Bangladesh only has the rule that members of parliament become advisers of the local government.

Akbar Ali Khan said the concerned ministry investigates the irregularities and allegations of the local government. However, there should be an independent commission to carry out such investigation, he added.

The former cabinet secretary said there was a commission in the past but that did not function permanently.

Akbar Ali Khan said law has to be changed in a bid to empower the local government.