Fair polls main target

New CEC, ECs tell The Independent

The newly-appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four election commissioners said yesterday (Tuesday) that they would make their best efforts to hold the 2019 general election in a free, fair and credible manner. They vowed to work together to gain the confidence of all political parties, the biggest stakeholders in an election. Giving their reactions to The Independent a day after their appointment, they expressed firm determination to prove themselves through their work so that all quarters, including the general public,
have their trust in the EC. The newly-appointed CEC, KM Nurul Huda, said: “Our duty will be to conduct the polls impartially, following the Constitution and the law. There will be no compromise on this.”
Talking to journalists at his house in the capital, Nurul Huda, a 1973 batch administration cadre officer, said: “Free and fair elections are not possible without the cooperation of politicians and civil society members.”
“I hope to get the cooperation of all in holding elections. I was the deputy commissioner (DC) in Comilla and Faridpur during the regime of the four-party alliance government. As such, I have good relations with some  of the BNP leaders,” he added.   
Iterating his commitment to work impartially, Huda, who hails from Patuakhali district, said: “I never compromised during my long
civil service career. Using my experience, I will try to work impartially.”
He said he did not have any resentment against any political party.
“I do not view the Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiya Party and other political parties differently. All of them are equal before the Election Commission,” he added.
About holding elections under a political party, Huda said: “There are various obstacles. But if politicians cooperate and political parties take part in elections, everything will work out fine.”
A newly-appointed election commissioner, Md Rafiqul Islam, former ICT secretary of the 1982 batch administration cadre officer, told The Independent that they would work as per the Constitution to hold free, free and credible parliamentary polls.
Rafiqul, who was working as a consultant in the RM Group after retirement in 2013, said it was a blessing for him to be appointed election commissioner. He hails from Godagari of Rajshahi district and lives in a rented house in the city’s Kolabagan area with his wife and only son.  He said he completed higher studies in Bulgaria and got a doctorate degree in management.
 Talking to this correspondent, another newly-appointed election commissioner, Mahbub Talukder, a retired additional secretary, said he would work as per the Constitution.
 “I am happy for my appointment. But my dream was to become a famous journalist. I worked as a reporter at the Ittefaq newspaper from 1961-62. I became a teacher at Chittagong University following my wife’s request,” Mahbub Talukder, who worked as assistant editor under the Mujibnagar government during the country’s Liberation War in 1971, said.
 “After the Liberation War, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman appointed me as assistant secretary with the status of deputy secretary at Bangabhaban,” Mahbub Talukder, who obtained a master’s degree in Bengali language and literature from Dhaka University, said.
 He was promoted as additional secretary of the Parliament secretariat and posted as director general of the Bangladesh Shilpokola Academy during the Ershad government’s tenure.
 “I was not a cadre officer. I do not understand how the then government promoted and posted me in different ministries and departments,” Mahbub Talukder, who hails from Netrakuna district, added.
 Another election commissioner, Brig. Gen. (retd.) Shahadat Chowdhury, who worked as project director (PD) of the National Directorate for Preparation of Electoral Roll and National ID Card Project, spoke to The Independent over the telephone.
 Shahadat, who hails from Noakhali district, said he would do his duty to hold the next parliamentary polls in a free, fair and credible manner in line with the Constitution.
 Shahadat, who served as a signal officer in the Bangladesh Army, said he went into self-retirement in 2010 to join as project coordination advisor in Afghanistan for the UNDP/ELECT Project. Before his new appointment, the retired Army officer was chairman of an IT firm, NetCore Ltd.
 He completed master’s degrees in War Studies and Defence Studies from the National University. He also completed the Signal Officer’s Degree Engineering (Telecommunication Engineering) from the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, affiliated to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi.
 Another election commissioner, Kabita Khanam, spoke to The Independent in her modest rented apartment in Dhanmondi. Being the first woman election commissioner, she feels that she has an extra duty to perform.
 Kabita said she wants to create a legacy as the first woman commissioner so that she will be remembered for her work.
 “There have been women prime ministers, opposition leaders and speakers in the country. I am just a new addition to this list. I will try to do well so that more women become election commissioners in future,” he added.
 With 31 years of judicial experience, Kabita Khanam is well-equipped to perform her new duty. “The duty of a district and sessions judge was not an easy one, and I don’t believe the duty of an election commissioner will be an easy one either. I will try to do my best to ensure a fair and free election,” she said.
 About being selected as election commissioner on the ruling party’s recommendation, Kabita said: “As a judge, I know what neutrality means and I have been practising neutrality for long. In my long career, I was never known for having any political affiliation. I will not practise that in my new duty.”
Born in Ukilpara of Naogaon district town in 1957, Kabita Khanam completed Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) in zoology from Rajshahi University in 1977 and 1978, respectively. She obtained an LLB degree from the same university in 1981.
As a BCS judicial cadre official, she joined the Munsef Court in Rajshahi in February 1984. She was elevated as joint district judge in 1994 and additional district judge in 2000.
She was promoted as the district judge in October 2006 and served as district and sessions judge in Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi. She retired as Rajshahi District and Sessions Judge in June last year.
Her late husband was the chief metropolitan magistrate in Rajshahi. Kabita’s son is a Captain in the Bangladesh Army and her daughter is a doctor at the Popular Medical College and Hospital.
On February 6, President Md Abdul Hamid appointed former secretary and freedom fighter KM Nurul Huda as the next CEC.
 The President also appointed four other election commissioners — former secretary Rafiqul Islam, former additional secretary Mahbub Talukder, former district and sessions judge of Rajshahi Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury – for a five-year term.

Fair polls main target

New CEC, ECs tell The Independent

The newly-appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four election commissioners said yesterday (Tuesday) that they would make their best efforts to hold the 2019 general election in a free, fair and credible manner. They vowed to work together to gain the confidence of all political parties, the biggest stakeholders in an election. Giving their reactions to The Independent a day after their appointment, they expressed firm determination to prove themselves through their work so that all quarters, including the general public, have their trust in the EC. The newly-appointed CEC, KM Nurul Huda, said: Our duty will be to conduct the polls impartially, following the Constitution and the law. There will be no compromise on this. Talking to journalists at his house in the capital, Nurul Huda, a 1973 batch administration cadre officer, said: Free and fair elections are not possible without the cooperation of politicians and civil society members. I hope to get the cooperation of all in holding elections. I was the deputy commissioner (DC) in Comilla and Faridpur during the regime of the four-party alliance government. As such, I have good relations with some of the BNP leaders, he added. Iterating his commitment to work impartially, Huda, who hails from Patuakhali district, said: I never compromised during my long civil service career. Using my experience, I will try to work impartially. He said he did not have any resentment against any political party. I do not view the Awami League, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jatiya Party and other political parties differently. All of them are equal before the Election Commission, he added. About holding elections under a political party, Huda said: There are various obstacles. But if politicians cooperate and political parties take part in elections, everything will work out fine. A newly-appointed election commissioner, Md Rafiqul Islam, former ICT secretary of the 1982 batch administration cadre officer, told The Independent that they would work as per the Constitution to hold free, free and credible parliamentary polls. Rafiqul, who was working as a consultant in the RM Group after retirement in 2013, said it was a blessing for him to be appointed election commissioner. He hails from Godagari of Rajshahi district and lives in a rented house in the citys Kolabagan area with his wife and only son. He said he completed higher studies in Bulgaria and got a doctorate degree in management. Talking to this correspondent, another newly-appointed election commissioner, Mahbub Talukder, a retired additional secretary, said he would work as per the Constitution. I am happy for my appointment. But my dream was to become a famous journalist. I worked as a reporter at the Ittefaq newspaper from 1961-62. I became a teacher at Chittagong University following my wifes request, Mahbub Talukder, who worked as assistant editor under the Mujibnagar government during the countrys Liberation War in 1971, said. After the Liberation War, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman appointed me as assistant secretary with the status of deputy secretary at Bangabhaban, Mahbub Talukder, who obtained a masters degree in Bengali language and literature from Dhaka University, said. He was promoted as additional secretary of the Parliament secretariat and posted as director general of the Bangladesh Shilpokola Academy during the Ershad governments tenure. I was not a cadre officer. I do not understand how the then government promoted and posted me in different ministries and departments, Mahbub Talukder, who hails from Netrakuna district, added. Another election commissioner, Brig. Gen. (retd.) Shahadat Chowdhury, who worked as project director (PD) of the National Directorate for Preparation of Electoral Roll and National ID Card Project, spoke to The Independent over the telephone. Shahadat, who hails from Noakhali district, said he would do his duty to hold the next parliamentary polls in a free, fair and credible manner in line with the Constitution. Shahadat, who served as a signal officer in the Bangladesh Army, said he went into self-retirement in 2010 to join as project coordination advisor in Afghanistan for the UNDP/ELECT Project. Before his new appointment, the retired Army officer was chairman of an IT firm, NetCore Ltd. He completed masters degrees in War Studies and Defence Studies from the National University. He also completed the Signal Officers Degree Engineering (Telecommunication Engineering) from the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, affiliated to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi. Another election commissioner, Kabita Khanam, spoke to The Independent in her modest rented apartment in Dhanmondi. Being the first woman election commissioner, she feels that she has an extra duty to perform. Kabita said she wants to create a legacy as the first woman commissioner so that she will be remembered for her work. There have been women prime ministers, opposition leaders and speakers in the country. I am just a new addition to this list. I will try to do well so that more women become election commissioners in future, he added. With 31 years of judicial experience, Kabita Khanam is well-equipped to perform her new duty. The duty of a district and sessions judge was not an easy one, and I dont believe the duty of an election commissioner will be an easy one either. I will try to do my best to ensure a fair and free election, she said. About being selected as election commissioner on the ruling partys recommendation, Kabita said: As a judge, I know what neutrality means and I have been practising neutrality for long. In my long career, I was never known for having any political affiliation. I will not practise that in my new duty. Born in Ukilpara of Naogaon district town in 1957, Kabita Khanam completed Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) in zoology from Rajshahi University in 1977 and 1978, respectively. She obtained an LLB degree from the same university in 1981. As a BCS judicial cadre official, she joined the Munsef Court in Rajshahi in February 1984. She was elevated as joint district judge in 1994 and additional district judge in 2000. She was promoted as the district judge in October 2006 and served as district and sessions judge in Chapainawabganj and Rajshahi. She retired as Rajshahi District and Sessions Judge in June last year. Her late husband was the chief metropolitan magistrate in Rajshahi. Kabitas son is a Captain in the Bangladesh Army and her daughter is a doctor at the Popular Medical College and Hospital. On February 6, President Md Abdul Hamid appointed former secretary and freedom fighter KM Nurul Huda as the next CEC. The President also appointed four other election commissioners former secretary Rafiqul Islam, former additional secretary Mahbub Talukder, former district and sessions judge of Rajshahi Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (Retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury for a five-year term.