Election commissioners M Munsef Ali and AK Mohammad Ali have yet to succeed in contacting CEC MA Aziz despite making several phonecalls to his residence last week. Aziz did not respond to any of the calls.

The two made yet another call at about 12:00 noon yesterday, but the staff of the CEC residence told them that he had gone to the hospital, the commissioners told journalists.

The CEC was in fact home when the phonecall was made, but he did not talk to them. When a group of journalists went to his residence yesterday, they were not allowed to meet him and the security personnel at the entrance said the CEC returned home from the hospital by 11:00am.

"Actually, we have failed to get to the chief election commissioner and we don't know what will become of the meeting of the commission," Munsef Ali said.

He and Mohammad Ali yesterday discussed the prevailing situation at the commission. They decided to implement the High Court's January 4 directives.

In presence of Munsef Ali, Election Commissioner Mohammad Ali made the yesterday's call to the CEC residence to enquire about his condition and the issue of holding an immediate meeting of the commission.

"But we couldn't talk to him nor to his wife as the person at the other end hung up the phone and did not receive our call afterwards," Mohammad Ali said.

Meanwhile, officials of the SPRC & General Hospital said the CEC came to the hospital at 10:00am and left at 10:30am after taking physiotherapy.

Physiotherapist Iqbal Akand, who administered the therapy on CEC, said he [CEC] has been suffering from pain in his lower back for the last 15 days. "His condition is improving and he now can walk," he said.

MA Aziz has been absent from his office since January 9, the day the certified copy of the High Court's judgement reached the commission.

On January 4, the High Court asked the EC to revise the existing electoral roll. But ignoring the court's directives, the EC secretariat continued the task of preparing a fresh voter list, which began on January 1.

The court also asked the CEC to call immediately a meeting of the EC.

Referring to the illness of Aziz, the two election commissioners recently said they are willing to visit the CEC and if necessary the meeting can be held at his residence.

"We are ready to sit anywhere and at anytime as the court has asked to hold an immediate meeting," Munsef Ali said, adding, "But for that to happen, the chief election commissioner must call the meeting first."

Mohammad Ali, who made a phonecall to the CEC's residence last Monday, said he tried to know the condition of the CEC during the Eid holidays as well but to no avail.

Replying to a query, he said they do not want to appeal against the court's directives, they rather want to carry out those.