Bangladesh's interim govt names Ali Riaz as new head of Constitutional Reform Commission

The newly-appointed Head of the Constitutional Reform Commission, Ali Riaz, is a professor of political science at Illinois State University, US.

Dhaka:Bangladesh's interim government on Wednesday appointed prominent Bangladeshi-American professor Ali Riaz as head of the Constitutional Reform Commission, replacing Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik.

It was announced in a circular issued by the Cabinet Division as per the directive of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. However, the circular did not mention any reason for the change.

Riaz is a professor of political science at Illinois State University, US. Yunus, 84, recently announced the formation of six commissions to reform the judiciary, election system, administration, police, anti-corruption commission and the constitution. The following day, the interim government named Malik head of the Constitutional Reform Commission.

Nobel laureate Yunus said the interim government has taken steps to form six commissions to overhaul six key sectors. Underlining that the core aim of the reforms is to ensure equal rights for all, he said, We have a lot of work ahead of us. We want to move forward together toward the same goal. We want to create a structure that enables the untapped talents within us, especially within our new generation, to be expressed without obstacles, with the support of the state and society.

Yunus took oath as the head of the interim government on August 8, three days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India following widespread protests against her government.