Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar is doing whatever necessary to disgrace and undermine the current Election Commission, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said today.

He said this following Mahbub Talukdar's speech at National Voters' Day programme at the auditorium of Bangladesh Nirbachon Bhaban today.

The CEC also accused Mahbub -- present at the programme at the time -- of undermining the commission for his own benefit.

"Mahbub Talukdar has made political remarks on the occasion of National Voters' Day," he stated.

"He does not work for the benefit of the country's Election Commission," CEC said.

Earlier, Mahbub Talukdar, at the same programme, said that voter turnout in the elections where electronic voting machines were used has reduced to a critical level.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar. File photo

He said that a "sensational" election took place at Rauzan municipality in Chattogram where all the mayor and councilor candidates were elected unopposed.

He also mockingly proposed that the same model can be followed across the country where everyone will be elected unopposed.

"This process will save money and can reduce violence, and Election Commission will have no responsibility. If it happens, question will arise whether there is any necessity of Election Commission anymore" Mahbub said.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar today expressed grave concern over the present voting system and underscored the need for reformation of the electoral process.

"Public indifference to voting is now being noticed. It is an ominous sign for democracy," Mahbub Talukdar said while addressing a programme in Dhaka on the occasion of National Voters' Day.

The lack of trust in the voting system will have to be addressed at any cost, the commissioner said.

While addressing the same programme, Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said that the number of voters in the country at present is around 10,98,19,112.

Of them, 5,54,82,530 are male while 5,43,36,222 are female voters, he said.

Some 360 transgender people were added in the voter list for the first time, he added.

According to an EC official, 55,79, 030 new voters were added to the updated voter list.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder today issued a "note of dissent" on three proposals of the Election Commission.

He said the Secretariat of the Election Commission had earlier repealed the Representation of the People Order, 1972 and sent the draft of the Representation of the People Act 2020 to the law ministry.

According to the law ministry, the draft has been sent to the ministry with the exclusion of 11 basic and procedural provisions.

The most concerning issue is the abolition of the direct power of the RPO or Section 91 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, to cancel the candidature of an individual, which was vested on the Election Commission, he said.

"I think it is a suicidal decision of the Election Commission to move away from the sole power of direct cancellation of candidature," Mahbub said.

Meanwhile, at the 69th meeting of the EC on August 24, 2020, the draft law on local government election management has been submitted for approval. In this draft, it has been proposed to replace the Representation of the People Order, 1972 with the Representation of the People Act, 2020 with amendment, he said.

"I totally oppose this move," Mahbub said.

Besides, in his "note of dissent", the election commissioner said, "I also disagree with the Election Commission's proposal to amend the local government body's election management act."

Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud today said Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar should quit his post before delivering the speech he has made recently.

EC Mahbub yesterday underscored the need for reforming the election process and said public representatives who are elected illegally have no commitment to people or democracy.

Hasan Mahmud said, “I think his statement regarding his failure is just a self-deception. He should quit his post before making such comment.”