By IANS
Dhaka : The Awami League, Bangladesh's oldest political party, has approached India, Britain, the US and Australia for inputs on electoral reforms, re-drafting its constitution and fund-gathering, to make its functioning more democratic and transparent.
The party general secretary Abdul Jalil sent letters to the four countries through their respective missions to study political and electoral reforms, an unprecedented process, but required by the present caretaker government.
The party's working committee would complete the process in three weeks, The Daily Star said Sunday.
This is part of the political churning underway in Bangladesh amidst a blanket ban on political activity under a national emergency imposed on Jan 11.
The Election Commission too has devised some draft proposals that require political parties to declare their assets, sources of funds, criminal background, if any, of their nominees in future elections and their educational qualifications.
Also under study is a proposal for "no vote", empowering a voter to register a lack of confidence in all candidates seeking election from a particular constituency.
All this is happening even as mainstream political parties repeatedly seek announcement of a time frame for reforms and for general elections that were called off in January.
But Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed's government says it would hold elections only after the electoral reforms are in place and the voters' list is updated, a process that could take over a year.
The Awami League high command is also working on how to make a database comprising all party workers. It will prepare a list of all its leaders and members with their photographs and they will be given identity cards.
While Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, has got into the clean-up act, claiming credit for having pressed for the electoral reforms, the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is undergoing internal churning of its own, including dissenting voices against Begum Khaleda Zia.
Zia earlier announced that she would undertake reforms only after the current ban on political activity was lifted. She denied that the BNP was governed by the "Zia dynasty" – a charge made by some party members.
"The position I am in today has not been achieved overnight by means of family influence. It's after years of struggle on the streets, merit and support of the people," she asserted.
Zia heads the BNP, founded by her husband, late president Ziaur Rahman, since 1981, when he was gunned down in a military putsch. This is perhaps the first time that voices of dissent have surfaced directly against her.
Her elder son Tareq Rahman, BNP's senior joint secretary, has been in jail since March 7 on extortion charges that he has reportedly admitted during investigations.
According to analysts, Tareq's detention has weakened Zia. He is considered Zia's principal political advisor and a possible successor, above the vast party bureaucracy comprising right-wing politicos and retired civil and military officers.
Detractors say he and his business cronies made money during Zia's tenure (2001-06).