President Iajuddin Ahmed yesterday appointed five more advisers, completing the reconstitution of the council of advisers to the caretaker government headed by Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed. Three of the newly appointed advisers--former secretary Ayub Quadri, former inspector general of police Anwarul Iqbal and physician Maj Gen (retd) Matiur Rahman-- They sworn in yesterday, five days after the president administered the oath of office to the chief adviser on January 12. The president administered the oath of office to the three advisers at the Bangabhaban at 7:10pm.He will administer the oath of office to two other advisers--Dr Iftekar Ahmed Chowhdury, a career diplomat and currently Bangladesh ambassador to the United Nations, and Fayez Khan, an IT specialist and consultant, later. They could not be sworn in yesterday as they were abroad. Iftekar Ahmed Chowhdury is a brother-in-law of Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed. The chief adviser and other advisers, who were appointed on January 13, were present at the oath-taking ceremony.
The interim government led by Dr Fakhruddin has primarily envisaged several agendas for holding credible elections: Correcting the voter list, introducing voter-identity cards and transparent ballot box in the polls. The caretaker government and the Election Commission might also open dialogue with major political parties before setting the ball rolling once again for the election.
