CA meets heads of reform commissions

Election reform envisages postal ballots in voting

FE REPORT | November 05, 2024 00:00:00

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus presiding over a meeting with the chiefs of the commissions, formed to expedite the state reform initiatives, at his office in the capital's Tejgaon area on Monday. — PID

A major electoral reform under the interim government envisages introducing postal ballots so voters can vote without going to the polling centres.

The electoral reform commission is exploring the possibilities of this distance voting system evidently against the backdrop poll frauds in the past that ultimately resulted in the regime change through the August-5th uprising.

Badiul Alam Mazumder, the head of commission for electoral reform, told a meeting between Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus and the heads of reform commissions, constituted by the interim government for overhauls in vital structures of the state in line with the aspirations of the student-mass uprising.

"The meeting took stock of the progress of works of the reform commissions formed by the interim government," said a spokesperson for the Chief Adviser's Office.

The commission on electoral reform also informed the meeting that they were carrying on consultations with the stakeholders on different aspects of a remake of the electoral process.

"The committee wants to ensure participation of the expatriate Bangladeshis and is also discussing issues related to participation of women voters in polls."

Mr Mazumder told the meeting that his committee is also scrutinising the issue of matching NID cards and the voter list.

The commission on administrative reform led by Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury told the meeting that they had held several meetings and would be able to submit their report by the deadline.

Mr Chowdhury said that the commission had consultations with representatives of different cadre services and took their opinion.

The members of his commission visited different upazilas and districts to elicit opinions of the stakeholders on administrative reform.

The head of police-reform commission, Sadat Raj Hossain, told the meeting that they were scrutinising a plan to amend the outmoded code of criminal procedure 1898.

The commission held 10 meetings so far and posted a questionnaire on its website to get the public views on police restructuring.

"The panel is also working on to find ways and means to control mob without using force," he told the meeting.

mirmostafiz@yahoo.com