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Contradictory Approach to RPO

AL drops BCL, Sramik League but retains SCP

Shakhawat Liton
Ruling Awami League's (AL) new constitution recognises Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (SCP), an organisation of doctors with an overwhelming number of government physicians, as an associated organisation, although the law for political parties’ registration does not allow it.
The Representation of the People Order (RPO) clearly prohibits a registered political party from forming any affiliated or associated organisation of professionals, students, teachers, employees, or labourers.
Complying with RPO, AL in its amended constitution ratified by its national council, severed its ties with Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Jatiya Sramik League, two previous associated organisations of the party for students and labourers respectively.
According to AL's new constitution, BCL
and Sramik League will operate based on their own constitutions, while it keeps SCP as its associated organisation.
"It seems Awami League followed the law regarding Chhatra League and Sramik League, but made an exception regarding Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad. an organisation of white-collared professionals," said eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik.
He said the exception does trigger confusion about the logical spirit of RPO. A senior official of the EC Secretariat also echoed Malik.
Contacted by The Daily Star yesterday AL leader Suranjit Sengupta however said the issues of students, teachers, and party units abroad were restricted, while other issues still remain unrestricted.
"RPO does not prohibit a registered political party from forming an associated or affiliated body of any other profession, claimed Suranjit, also the chief of parliamentary stand ing committee on law justice and parliamentary affairs.
Talking to reporters yesterday, Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain said the Election Commission (EC) will scrutinise the submitted constitutions of political parties, and if any of them contradicts the RPO, that one will be sent back to the respective party for amendments.
A large number of government doctors all over the country are members of SCP Since its inception in 1993, SCP has been working as a subsidiary of AL to implement the party's aims and objectives in the sector.
The AL constitution empowers the party's health and population affairs secretary to supervise the activities of SCP. which is also accountable to the AL central working committee through the departmental secretary.
Contacted by The Daily Star on Sunday, M Iqbal Arslcn, secretary general of SCP, said the organisation has over 3,000 members across the country, with units at all government medical colleges and hospitals, and at district levels.
Private practitioners are also their members, added Iqbal, also the chairman of the department of biochemistry at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Health Minister AFM Ruhul Haque is the president ofSCP.
Since AL's ascension to power numerous news reports alleged that SCP has been exerting controlling influence on government doctors' appointments and transfers, and the last vice-chancellor of BSMMU, Prof Nazrul Islam, was reportedly forced to resign from the post due to pressure from this organisation.
Another leader of SCP said many members of the organisation are also looking for an answer to the question whether they are allowed to be involved in politics under the banner of a political party. "But we are carrying out our politicahactivities, -asif Cheep is
no restriction on us," he added.
Although members of SCP arc in politics, according to RPO they are not eligible to contest in parliamentary elections until three years have elapsed since their retirement or resignation from government jobs.
AL brought provisional amendments to its constitution in October last year pending its national council, and submitted the provisional constitution to the EC seeking registration. The commission strongly objected to having Chhatra League and Sramik League as the party's associated organisations.
At that time, senior officials of the EC Secretariat suggested that the commission asks AL to drop SCP from the list of associated organisations as well, but the commission did not object to SCP's associated status as forcefully as it did in the case of BCL and Sramik League, EC officials said.
In the face of EC's objection, AL dropped Chhatra League and Sramik League from the list of its associated organisations, and the EC accepted its provisional constitution for its registration.
The AL national council on last Friday ratified the provisional constitution, and the party submitted the new constitution to the EC on Saturday.
Another provision of RPO, says a political party shall not be qualified for registration if there is a provision in its constitution for establishment or operation ofany office, branch or committee outside the territory of Bangladesh.
AL deleted a detailed chapter from its previous constitution on organisations aboard, and incorporated in its new constitution a new provision titled 'organisations abroad', which says Bangladeshi citizens living abroad permanently or temporarily may form organisations believing in AL's aims, objectives, ideals and policies, abiding by the existing laws of the countries they liuojn. ..