EC fully independent, PM tells India\\\'s ex-CEC

Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina said on Sunday the country's people now exercise their voting rights with huge enthusiasm in various elections as the Election Commission (EC) is now fully independent, reports UNB.

The PM came up with the remarks when former chief election commissioner (CEC) of India Shahabuddin Yaqub Quraishi made a courtesy call on her at her office in the morning.

After the meeting, PM's Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil briefed reporters.

Sheikh Hasina said the current EC has been constituted through a search committee formed by late President Zillur Rahman following discussions with all political parties, a practice which was absent in the past as all the governments except that of Awami League had formed the commission on their sweet will.

During the meeting, the former Indian CEC thanked the PM for holding the January 5 elections in Bangladesh in a free, fair and neutral manner.

Quraishi said that there are about one billion voters in the Indian subcontinent which represents the large portion of global democracy.

He also mentioned that the countries of this region have achieved tremendous success in the field of women empowerment. "This success is stunning," he added.

Quraishi also highlighted his experiences that he gathered during his tenure.

Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary to the PM Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran and PM's Special Assistant Mahbubul Hoque Shakil, were, among others, present on the occasion.