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A notification was issued yesterday (Thursday, October 3) to establish separate commissions for reforms in five sectors: the electoral system, police, judiciary, public administration, and anti-corruption. Of the six proposed commissions, only the notification for the Constitutional Reform Commission remains to be issued.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus announced the formation of six commissions in his speech to the nation on Wednesday, September 11. Badiul Alam Majumdar has been appointed as the head of the Electoral System Reform Commission. Safar Raj Hossain will lead the Police Reform Commission. Meanwhile, Justice Shah Abu Naeem Mominur Rahman will head the Judicial Reform Commission, Iftekharuzzaman will chair the Anti-Corruption Reform Commission, and Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury will lead the Public Administration Reform Commission. Initially, lawyer Shahdeen Malik was named the head of the Constitutional Reform Commission, but the role was later assigned to Professor Ali Riaz. These five commissions are officially set to begin their work with the notification issued.

The notification states that alongside Badiul Alam Majumdar, the Electoral System Reform Commission will include members such as local government and election expert Dr. Tofail Ahmed, former Election Commission Additional Secretary Jesmin Tuli, election expert Md. Abdul Alim, political analyst Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman, governance and institutional reform specialist Mir Nadia Nivin, and electronic voting and blockchain expert Mohammad Sadek Ferdous. A student representative will also be part of the commission, though their name has not been announced yet.

The Police Reform Commission will have members including Additional Secretary (Public Security Division) of the Ministry of Home Affairs Abu Momtaz Saad Uddin Ahmed, former Director General of the Department of Narcotics Control Mohammad Iqbal, former Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Harun Chowdhury, former Additional IGP Sheikh Sajjad Ali, former police official Md. Golam Rasul, Professor of Dhaka University’s Law Department Shahnaz Huda, human rights activist ASM Nasiruddin Elan, and a student representative.

Members of the Judicial Reform Commission include retired Justice of the High Court Division Emdadul Haque, former District and Sessions Judge and High Court Division Justice Farid Ahmed Shibli, former District and Sessions Judge Syed Aminul Islam, former District and Sessions Judge Majdar Hossain, senior Supreme Court lawyer Tanim Hossain Shaon, Associate Professor of Dhaka University’s Law Department Quazi Mahfujul Hoque Supan, and a student representative.

The Public Administration Reform Commission will include former secretaries Mohammad Tarek and Mohammad Aiyub Mia, senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, former Additional Secretary Md. Hafizur Rahman, former Additional Secretary Rizwan Khair, former Chairman of Dhaka University’s Department of Public Administration Professor AKA Firoz Ahmed, and a student representative.

The Anti-Corruption Reform Commission includes former Comptroller and Auditor General Masud Ahmed, Dhaka University’s Department of Public Administration Professor Mobasser Monem, University of London Professor Mushtaq Khan, Barrister Mahdin Choudhury, Dhaka University’s Law Department Professor Dr. Mahbubur Rahman, Supreme Court lawyer Farzana Sharmin, and a student representative.