Raqib Uddin new CEC

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President Zillur Rahman Wednesday appointed former secretary Kazi Raqib Uddin Ahmed as the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of the country, reports BSS.
"Honourable president signed the appointment letters for the CEC and the four election commissioners (ECs) Wednesday noon," president's Press Secretary AKM Nesar Uddin Bhuiyan told the news agency.
The four new ECs are former additional secretary Mohammad Abu Hafiz, former joint secretary Mohammad Abdul Mobarak, Brig Gen (retd) Md Jabed Ali and former district and sessions judge Md Shahnewaz.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan was present at Bangabhaban while the president signed the files. Later, the cabinet secretary carried the appointment letters from Bangabhaban to the cabinet division for issuing the order soon.
The new CEC Raqib Uddin Ahmed was parliament secretary in the previous BNP-Jamaat government
till 2003. Prior to that, he was education secretary in 2000. Earlier, he served as secretary of information and primary and mass education in the last Awami League government.
Also a freedom fighter, he was a zonal coordinating officer of the freedom fighters who took shelter in Agartala, India, during the War of Liberation in 1971. After the war, Ahmed served as deputy commissioner of Comilla and later became director general of the NGO Affairs Bureau.
Earlier last evening, the search committee submitted its report to President Zillur Rahman recommending former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder or former secretary Qazi Raqib Uddin Ahmed for the post of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).
New CEC appointment
unconstitutional: BNP
UNB adds: BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Wednesday termed the entire process of appointing the new Chief Election Commissioner unlawful and unconstitutional.
He made the instant reaction when reporters sought his comment on the appointment of the new Election Commission Commissioner at BNP's central office in the afternoon.
Asked whether BNP rejects the CEC, Fakhrul said time has not come yet to say about that.
He, however, hastened to say the matter which is illegal. The question about its acceptance and rejection does not arrive.