The newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner, A. M. M. Nasir Uddin, is the son of the late Taleb Ullah Master, a key leader of the Peace Committee during 1971. According to local witnesses, he was widely recognized as a listed collaborator (Razakar). Despite this background, Nasir, a known supporter of Jamaat-e-Islami, has been appointed to the crucial position of Chief Election Commissioner.
Under the leadership of retired Secretary A. M. M. Nasir Uddin, a new five-member Election Commission has been formed, tasked with organizing the next national parliamentary elections. Although impartiality is crucial for such responsibilities, Nasir Uddin’s actions have often resembled those of a partisan activist. During the conspiratorial movement of August 5, he was seen actively expressing support for the coordinators on Facebook. His comments following the announcement of his appointment revealed notable animosity toward the largest political party Awami League.
The new Chief Election Commissioner, Nasir Uddin, hails from Kutubdia in Cox’s Bazar. He was born on July 1, 1953. During the Liberation War of 1971, his father, Taleb Ullah Master, a locally influential leader, demonstrated loyalty to the Pakistan Army, offering consistent support and taking retaliatory actions against freedom fighters.
After completing a master’s degree in economics at Chittagong University, Nasir Uddin began his career as a teacher in 1977. During Ziaur Rahman’s regime in 1979, he joined the civil service. This batch of civil servants is commonly referred to as the BCS ’79 batch. Throughout his extensive career, he served as the Secretary of Information, Secretary of Energy, a member of the Planning Commission, and Secretary of the Ministry of Health. He retired in January 2009.
The new Election Commission also includes former Additional Secretary Anwarul Islam Sarkar, former District and Sessions Judge Abdur Rahman Masud, former Joint Secretary Begum Tahmida Ahmed, and retired Brigadier General Abul Fazl Mohammad Sanaullah as commissioners.
Available profiles among other commissioners:
- Md. Anwarul Islam Sarkar: A former Additional Secretary, he retired from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Before that, he served as a Joint Secretary in the same ministry and as the Director of the National Housing Authority.
- Begum Tahmida Ahmed: A former Joint Secretary, she was appointed as the Joint Secretary (Law) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on January 3, 2018. That year, she also served as Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute and later became the Director of the Department of Jute.
- Brigadier General (Retd.) Abul Fazl Mohammad Sanaullah: He served as a Defense Advisor at the Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan. In 2020, the previous government appointed him to this position with the rank of Minister. A graduate of the 18th BMA Long Course, he served in the military for 35 years.