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The acting chief election commissioner (CEC) and four other commissioners finally resigned following the footstep of Justice MA Aziz, and clearing the way for reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC, which tops the interim government’s agenda. Former additional secretary to cabinet division, M Anisuzzaman Khan, is likely to be appointed as the new CEC while a former brigadier general and a former district judge are likely to be appointed as election commissioners.Their resignation came 10 days after Justice MA Aziz resigned from the post of chief election commissioner without giving any reason. A few of the resigning election commissioners did not agree to admit their failure as election commissioners. They also refused to comment on their resignation, saying Bangabhaban will announce the EC overhaul in a statement. A Bangabhaban press release on Wednesday night confirmed that the president accepted the resignation letters of five commissioners. None of the resigning commissioners disclosed anything about the content of their discussion with the president at Bangabhaban.
The caretaker government will now appoint a new CEC and two election commissioners to recast the EC, which will initiate steps including preparation of a voter list for holding the ninth parliamentary election. The interim government will immediately appoint three election commissioners, including a CEC, to form a new Election Commission, adding that the names of the new commissioners have been finalised and that the new Election Commission will take steps to bring changes to the electoral laws.
President Iajuddin Ahmed had appointed all the election commissioners: Justice MA Aziz as CEC on May 23, 2005, Zakaria and Mahfuz on January 16, 2006, and Mansur on August 31 last year--all on advice of the then BNP-led government. He then suddenly appointed Modabbir and Saiful on November 27 last year, keeping in dark and annoying the then council of advisers. With six election commissioners, the Aziz-led EC became the largest one ever in the history of Bangladesh, but it completely failed to build people's confidence in it for holding a free and fair election. It failed to conduct the ninth parliamentary elections scheduled for January 22 and formally cancelled the election in line with a decision of the present caretaker government. The council of advisers to the immediate past caretaker government headed by President Iajuddin Ahmed faced tremendous difficulties in reconstituting the EC as neither Aziz nor SM Zakaria agreed to resign. The BNP-led four-party alliance was also rigid against the resignation of the two commissioners appointed by the BNP government. Law Adviser Mainul Hosein yesterday said the resignation of the five commissioners will end all problems the EC recast has been facing.
Advisors to be appointed soon; 4-party absent at oath-taking 
Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former governor of the Bangladesh Bank, assumed the office of chief adviser (CA) to the non-party caretaker government yesterday based on a consensus between the two major political alliances, beginning the reconstitution of the interim government. President Iajuddin Ahmed, administered the oath of his successor at a ceremony in Bangabhaban Darbar Hall yesterday. With Dr Fakhruddin's assumption of the office of CA, resignation of Justice Fazlul Haque, who had been acting as the CA following the resignation of Iajuddin, became effective.
The president will now appoint ten advisers in a day or two consulting with the newly appointed CA to complete the reconstitution of the council of advisers to the caretaker government that will initiate a fresh move for holding the next parliamentary election. The Election Commission (EC) yesterday unofficially suspended all activities regarding holding the parliamentary election on January 22. Interestingly, BNP-led four-party alliance which had welcomed Iajuddin's assumption of the office of CA and who had attended his oath taking ceremony on October 29 in Bangabhaban, boycotted yesterday's ceremony of oath taking by the new CA. But, Awami League (AL)-led 14-party coalition and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that had boycotted the oath taking ceremony of Iajuddin as the CA, protesting his 'unconstitutional takeover of the post', attended yesterday's function in Bangabhaban.
Two former chief advisers to caretaker governments Justice Habibur Rahman and Justice Latifur Rahman, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Justice Mahfuzur Rahman, secretaries of different ministries, chiefs of three services of the armed forces, foreign diplomats and other dignitaries also attended the ceremony yesterday evening. Excepting the state run media and a private news agency, journalists were not allowed in Bangabhaban to cover the ceremony. Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder conducted the oath taking ceremony that lasted ten minutes. Before administering the oath, the president appointed Dr Fakhruddin as the new CA in accordance with the Article 58 (C) of the constitution. Before appointing the new CA, negotiations took place between the two major political alliances to reach a consensus on Dr Fakhruddin.
Profile of new CADr Fakhruddin Ahmed was born in Munshiganj. He obtained the first position in his class (first class first) in both BA (Hons) and MA from the Department of Economics in Dhaka University in 1960 and 1961. He received another master's degree in Development Economics from Williams College, USA and the Doctorate Degree in Economics from Princeton University.
He started his career as a lecturer of Economics in Dhaka University. Later, he joined the civil service of Pakistan. He served the government until 1978 when he joined the World Bank where he served until 2001. He joined as the governor of Bangladesh Bank in 2001 and his contract expired on April 30, 2005.He has been the managing director of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), country's apex micro-finance organisation, since June 1, 2005.
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday said if the grand alliance's demand for fair election is not fulfilled by January 8, a non-stop siege for 10 days will be enforced to resist "vote thieves." Addressing a meeting of Jatiya Sramik League at the AL's Dhanmondi office, she urged the police, Rab and BDR to resist the "vote thieves". Hasina, said the blueprint for rigging election is in place and to participate in such election means acceptance of a rigged election. She cautioned the chief adviser of bad consequences of arresting and torturing her party leaders and workers. Earlier, Hasina while exchanging views with the members of Awami Swechchhasebak League asked the civil administration, army and law enforcers not to cooperate with those who intend to rig the election.
When asked about Khaleda Zia's persistent demand for election within 90 days, Hasina said although the BNP chairperson refers to 90 days, she keeps mum about Articles 121 and 122 of the constitution that mentions a flawless electoral roll. Reminding the consequences of the election on February 15 in 1996, she said a one-party election will not be allowed. She urged the people to boycott the January 22 election. Awami League leaders Motia Chowdhury and Obaidul Quader and Swechchhasebak League General Secretary Pankaj Debnath were present in the meeting presided over by Bahauddin Nasim, president of Swechchhasebak League.
