South Asian Outlook : An Independent e-Monthly | South Asia: Bangladesh

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Ordinance Amending RPO

The cabinet at its regular meeting with the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair approved a proposal for promulgating an ordinance amending the updated Representation of People Order (RPO) to extend by another six months the time limit for the political parties to get registered with the Election Commission (EC). The decision was taken following a plea of the EC as ten political parties including the main opposition BNP appealed to the EC for extending the set timeframe for them to amend party constitutions to qualify for the registration as per provisions of the updated RPO – the main law governing political parties and elections.

The Election Commission earlier had set six months time from January 25 to July 24 for the political parties to amend and submit their constitutions to the EC to get registered as per the reformed rules of politicking. As some of the political parties failed to submit their amended constitutions, the Election Commission decided to extend the deadline to January 25, 2010 and subsequently requested the government to amend the RPO so that the political parties get one year for holding their councils and submitting constitutions to the EC.

Now, that the cabinet has approved the ordinance amending the RPO and the ordinance is set to be promulgated soon and later passed by Parliament into law the legal requirement in this regard is expected to be fulfilled. The government has done a good thing, because now the BNP along with nine other parties will be enable to hold their councils in next six months and then submit the party constitutions to the EC. This is obligatory for the political parties. The electoral law and the amended RPO said: ‘The political parties are required to submit their permanent constitutions adopted through holding councils within six months of the first session of Parliament. The registration of a party would be postponed if it fails to submit the constitution within the stipulated timeframe. If the registration is postponed, a party can run its political activities but cannot run for national elections.’

The ruling Awami League and its alliance partner Jatiya Party held their council meetings on July 24 where their amended party constitutions were approved and subsequently submitted to the EC on July 25. But out of the country's 39 registered political parties ten parties, including the main opposition BNP, have failed to hold councils within July 24 and filed written applications to the EC requesting for extension of the July 25 deadline. But EC cannot extend the time unless the RPO is amended by the government. Now, if the time is not extended and the ten parties including the BNP fail to submit the constitutions amended through councils their registrations would be postponed and eventually they would be disqualified for participation in the next national elections. The possible disastrous consequence of BNP being disqualified for elections can easily be guessed. So, it must be said that the Awami League Government has initiated a very correct move by approving the ordinance amending RPO to pave the way for the submission of the party constitution to the EC by BNP and some other parties and thus avert a possible political deadlock in future. This development has proved that political problem of any sort can be easily resolved if there is a political good intention.

[Source: The Bangladesh Today]

NEWS BRIEFS

Lashkar-e-Toiba active in the country for last 14 years, say intelligence sources: The Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) has reportedly been active in Bangladesh for the last 14 years, intelligence sources said, quoting one of the most wanted Indian terrorists recently arrested in the capital Dhaka. Local leaders of the outfit have links to the network of absconding Indian underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim, and also to leaders of other Islamist militant outfits like the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), sources added. The Detective Branch (DB) of Police on July 17, 2009, disclosed that they recently arrested an Indian national who is very close to the LeT, and is also one of the most wanted persons by the Indian law enforcing and intelligence agencies. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner A.K.M. Shahidul Hoque said the arrestee has been identified as Mufti Obaidullah, who has been staying in Bangladesh since 1995. "He was arrested from the capital and was making preparations for a jihad by organising Bangladeshi mujahids with directives from Ameer Reza, a leader of the Jammu and Kashmir based LeT, who is an Indian national now staying in Pakistan," the DMP Commissioner said. Obaidullah reportedly took part in the Afghan jihad four times and he was active in the militancy in India, in collaboration with militants from Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also collaborated with Islamist militants of Jammu and Kashmir, Varanasi, Punjab, and Hyderabad in India, said the DMP Commissioner, adding that Obaidullah came to Bangladesh to evade Indian intelligence after the Government of India in 1994 had declared him a most wanted person.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters on July 17, Obaidullah, in detention, said he came to Bangladesh only to hide, and brought his family into the country later. He admitted that he is one of the most wanted persons in India, and said four other most wanted Indians are also hiding in Bangladesh. "In 1994, Indian commandos went to West Bengal from Delhi by helicopters to arrest me, but I managed to evade arrest and later left India," Obaidullah added. He also reportedly managed to get a Bangladeshi national identity card, and cast votes in several elections, Obaidullah said. The Daily Star, July 18, 2009.

Chairman of Kamtapur Liberation Organisation arrested in Dhaka: According to Times of India, the Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) chief, Jibon Singha alias Timir Das, was arrested during a raid at a hotel in Jamalpur near capital Dhaka on July 9, 2009. "We have got in touch with the Bangladesh Government. After initial examination, there is a strong possibility that the person arrested is none other than KLO chief Jibon Singha," said a senior Police officer in Kolkata, capital of West Bengal in India. According to sources, the Bangladesh Police were looking for suspects in the Chittagong arms smuggling case. The Indian external affairs ministry had passed on details about Jibon to Bangladesh Police after the KLO training camp in Bhutan was destroyed in a joint operation by the Indian Army and Royal Bhutan Army in 2003. Times of India, July 10, 2009.