Six commissions formed for rebuilding Bangladesh

Six commissions for reforms in vital state institutions and the national constitution have been formed for rebuilding Bangladesh as a people's ownership-based equitable country, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus said Wednesday.

Making the announcement in his address to the nation, the head of post-uprising government urged all to hold patience, halt various agitations and operate the closed factories for the common good.

The chief adviser named the names of the chiefs of the rejig commissions. Dr Badiul Alam Majumdar will be the head of Electoral System Reform Commission, Sarfraz Chowdhury will head Police Administration Reform Commission, Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman lead Judiciary Reform Commission, TIB's Dr Iftekharuzzaman will be the head of Anti-Corruption Reform Commission, Abdul Mueed Chowdhury be the head of Public Administration Reform Commission and Dr Shahdeen Malik will head Constitution Reform Commission.

Names of other members of these panels will be decided in consultation with the heads of respective commissions, Prof Yunus said.

"As we believe in people's right to vote and people's ownership, improvement in the electoral system has been given importance in our reform ideas," the chief adviser of the reformist regime said in his televised speech marking the finish of the first month of the interim government formed on August 8 following the August 5th student-mass upsurge.

He said reforming four institutions - police administration, public administration, judiciary and anti-corruption commission - is essential for free and fair elections as these institutions are related to the electoral system.

"I believe that the reform of these institutions will also contribute to the establishment of a state system with public ownership, accountability and welfare."

In addition, he said, they feel the need for constitutional reform to ensure representation and interests of people from all walks of life and to reflect the message of the July-August uprising that toppled the Sheikh Hasina government after her straight over one-and-a-half- decade rule.

Prof Yunus expects the Election Commission, once fully constituted, to formally begin its work on October 1 and they expect it to be completed within the next three months.

"Based on the Commission's report, the government will hold consultations with major political parties at the next stage," he said, adding that at the final stage, the outline of reform ideas will be finalised on the basis of a three-to-seven-day-long consultation with students, civil society, representatives of political parties and representatives of the government.

"It will also give an idea of how this outline will be implemented," the Nobel-laureate microcredit pioneer told the nation about his government's trajectory of actions.

Advisory council members, students, workers, representatives of mass movements, representatives of civil society and political parties will be present at the deliberations and consultation meetings of the commissions.

"We believe that this will make the whole nation strong and optimistic in the implementation of the message of the July mass uprising and uniting all to rebuild the state," Prof Yunus said.

He notes that they have a lot of work ahead of them and they all want to move towards the same goal.

"We all want to ensure equal rights to every member of our family, be he/she sweeper, student, teacher or from any religion. This is the main goal of our reforms. Let us quickly implement the goal of this revolution of students, workers and people," he said, striking an egalitarian note.

Prof Yunus said in their first month, they might not have been able to move forward with the speed and enthusiasm that they had in view of the actual situation.

"If the law-and-order situation of the country is kept normal, we hope we can boost our speed a lot. For this reason, I am asking for the cooperation of all the people of the country - teachers, students, farmers, workers, professionals, big businesspeople, small businesspeople, day laborers, housewives," Prof Yunus said.

He makes it clear that their task is tough, but, as a nation, they cannot afford to fail this time. "We must succeed. This success will come because of you and it will come because of your cooperation. Our job will be to make your and my dreams come true."

"In our second month, I will try to create strong confidence in your mind.

"Be patient, I will not tell you this at all. We all get impatient thinking when so much work will be completed. We will be impatient. Why not? But it will work properly. I will show no sign of impatience in work," he said.

Prof Yunus ended his speech sending his greetings to everyone - people of the country, children, teenagers, young people, students, old people, men and women.

Acknowledging the pains of workers, Chief Adviser Prof Yunus said the government wants to take the pharmaceutical and garment industries to their potential peaks and there is no question of weakening these two key industries.

"The pharmaceutical and garment industries are the pride of the country. Through this, our workers' brothers and sisters and their efficiency have impressed the world. Its success has now hindered. We want to remove the obstacles by identifying the problems of these two industries," he said.

Prof Yunus said they will gather foreign buyers and seek their cooperation so that these two industries of Bangladesh can become more reliable than other countries in the world.

"Everything is possible if we can make the labour-owner relationship a reliable and enjoyable one."

He said the first month of the government passed by and from the second month they want to start a new labour-owner relationship as part of building a new Bangladesh.

"It is desired by everyone in the country. We are working towards that goal so that the new generation of the country can move forward with their future without fear," Prof Yunus said.

He said they have many responsibilities. "We have to work together on a number of issues to build a just society."

(Inputs taken from live media broadcast, UNB)