AL working to recast caretaker govt concept

A meeting of the party's advisory council yesterday discussed the issue and asked its members to put forward specific suggestions to make the caretaker government more effective.

Leader of the Opposition and AL President Sheikh Hasina chaired the meeting held at the party's Dhanmondi office.

AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil told reporters after the meeting that the last general elections laid bare the caretaker government's failure to ensure free and fair elections. "We talked about the future electoral process and possible ways of making it more effective," Jalil said. "We have urged the advisory council members to submit their recommendations on how the caretaker government can run impartially."

The AL general secretary alleged that in the last general elections, three persons -- president Shahabuddin Ahmed, chief adviser of the caretaker government Latifur Rahman and Chief Election Commissioner MA Sayeed -- failed to play an impartial role. "These three persons were purchased and they betrayed the people," he added.

He said the AL introduced the concept of caretaker government to establish people's voting right, but it failed to fulfil people's expectations during the last general elections.

Yesterday's meeting formed three wings of the AL advisory committee -- political wing with Shamsul Huda Harun as its chairman, economic wing headed by former finance minister SAMS Kibria and the social wing with former education minister ASHK Sadique as the chairman.

The meeting also reviewed in detail the latest political developments.

Former finance minister AMA Muhit, Mazharul Islam, Amir-Ul Islam, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University AK Azad Chowdhury, Krishak League President Mirza Jalil, Mustafizur Rahman, Shafiullah, Golam Maola and former secretary to the government Mohammad Ali also attended the meeting.