As EC is a storehouse of exalted powers and positions, it could even have asked the non-existentespecially, the deceased-voters to withdraw their names from the voters' list. After all, EC is steadfast in its endeavor to make an updated voters' roll in line with the Supreme Court directives and all and sundrydead or aliveshould do their utmost to cooperate with this desire of the Election Commission!

Yes, my above observation is sort of a satire. Why not? EC officials are constitutionally empowered to do or get done whatever they desire. It is seemingly at their fingertips and, of course, mercy to interpret the rules the way they like so that their brand of interpretations give maximum indulgence to their inflated ego even after being bruised by the Supreme Court. You may question the wisdom of this write-up as it contains too much (?) of satire. Yes, I do agree. But, does our current EC invoke anything other than infinite satire? Do its officials have any interest in exhibiting sanity, let alone practicing intellect?

Admittedly, the role of Election Commission can hardly be overemphasized. Many claim thatin the context of Bangladesha firm and proper Election Commission is required more than an apt caretaker government as it is EC which will have do the bulk of activities in holding free and fair elections and the caretaker government will just provide it with assistance from outside. In many established democracies including our powerful neighbour Indiabiggest democracy in the worldelections are conducted quite successfully by the Election Commissions. And, who doesn't know the name of Indian proverbial Election Commissioner T. N. Sessan. Yes, our current CEC is also becoming proverbial for his enviable capacity to give berth to gimmicks and controversies!

Ironically, however, our Election Commission is all set to shut up all avenues of holding free and fair elections. While all machineryincluding the vital ECare supposed to make all out efforts to prepare a ground for holding the 2007 general electionsassumed by many to be the most important election of Bangladesh's contemporary period --, the EC is wasting inordinate time quite lavishly and jovially by violating or circumventing HC directives and making controversial decisions, the latest being preparing updated voters' roll without visiting voters' houses. What else can be a worse irony and misfortune for this problem-ridden nation?

This decision of EC has been rightly criticised by legal experts. They have called it illegal. But, I think the matter of practicability is more important than legality in this regard. In context of Bangladesh society, I am pretty sure that this move is entirely impossible to put in. Many have already expressed valid concerns about it. While it will be really difficult for the poor and time-constraint rural people to reach the rather remote Upazilla registration officers, the urban people will find it a real nuisance. Another real concern can be added to it. Yes, the perennial bureaucratic frame of mind of the official incumbents. I fear even the ones opting to go to the registration offices might as well meet with prohibitive bureaucratic hazards in the registration offices.

In fact, this queer move of the EC gives rise to other apprehensions. The EC earlier decided to use information from the nullified fresh voters' rollwhich has been reported to contain around 65 lac fake votersin preparing updated voters' roll. Though EC dropped this decision later on, there is a point in having this skepticism that the current EC might as well pass the nullified voters' roll off as the updated voters' roll which might be difficult to contradict by the general people. This observation might sound quixotic to the gentlemen. But, is it too much to assert that the all-powerful gentlemen in the EC can stoop to anything? Yes, having weighed the integrity and morality of the present EC big bosses, one is certainly tempted to have such a perception.

It can also be said that the present EC under supervision of three such election commissioners have no intention whatsoever to make an enabling environment for the next general elections. They clearly have totally different schemes of things: they have already shown their infamous skill at excuses and guiles. I wonder how polite the civil society people and the masses of the country are. They expectedonly to be dejected once again, thougha u-turn in the attitudes of EC bosses after Supreme Court verdict, even after their previous bizarre and stubborn activities.

Anyway, was there not an opportunity for the EC top officials to make amends? But, this is not to be because it matters little to them what the whole of the nation think. After all, they have constitutional pedigree. May I, however, remind of the plain fact that people of Bangladesh have a valiant history of removing the tyrannical establishments? Who knows that the public won't resort to such historic methods unless the current EC key officialsthe trio, including CECopt for early exit so as to smoothen the build-up to the next general elections.

Kazi S.M. Khasrul Alam Quddusi is Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Chittagong.