Officials belonging to the Bangladesh Civil Service (BSC) have attained the notoriety of partisanship, said former caretaker government adviser Dr Akbar Ali Khan.

He said there are many things to say about the next general election in Bangladesh. Civil service in Bangladesh has been weakened deliberately in a planned way. No political party trusts a single deputy commissioner (DC) in the country.

Akbar Ali Khan was speaking as the chief guest at the 8th National Conference of Sushashoner Janya Nagorik (Sujan), a civil society organisation, at the Institute of Dipoma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB) at Kakrail in the capital on Saturday (June 18, 2022).

"There are questions whether the Election Commission (EC) has the capability of holding the next general election in Bangladesh. There is no such question about the capability of the EC of neighbouring India. Those who work as officials in India's elections usually belong to the administration. But, the civil service or administration in Bangladesh has been weakened to such an extent that no political party has faith in DCs," he said.

Akbar Ali Khan said elections in India continue to be held two to three months. Ballot boxes remain under DCs' possession. Is there any DC available in Bangladesh under whom the political parties will agree to keep ballot boxes for a single night, he asked and said, "They have earned the 'disgrace of partisanship,' and they don't have the minimum courage to tell the truth.

The former caretaker government adviser said it is the responsibility of the civil society to make analysis of different issues in a democratic state. Civil society is closely associated with democracy. The foundation of democracy becomes weakened if a stronger civil society is not developed in a country. The government is saying that Sujan criticises the government only. If Sujan praises the government, then who will criticise it, he asked. "Those who criticise, they are the friends, not foes, of the government," he said.

The national conference of Sujan was inaugurated by former caretaker government adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud.

With Sujan vice-president Hamida Hossain in the chair, the inauguration ceremony of the conference was addressed by former chief election commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda, Sujan president Badiul Alam Mazumder, assistant secretary Zakir Hossain, treasurer Syed Abu Naser Bakhtiar Ahmed, executive members Justice Abdul Matin, Ali Imam Mazumder, Professor Tofail Ahmed, Professor Robayet Ferdous, and Professor Muhammad Sikander Khan, among others.