The Supreme Court (SC) order has allegedly been violated in the election of the management committee of the Cooperative Credit Union League of Bangladesh (CCULB). The election of the management committee of CCULB was held on November 11 in 2022, but the election committee formed by the Department of Cooperatives allegedly violated Cooperatives Act, rules, CCULB bye law and a Supreme Court order.
Stakeholders have alleged that Augustine Purification was disqualified as the chairman candidate as he had no primary qualification to contest the election. But, he was illegally allowed to participate in the election, and finally he was declared chairman. According to the sources, as per CCULB bye law, the CUDCC(Credit Union Director’s Competency Course) was made compulsory for the CCULB election. This course is very important for the board officers in operating cooperative credit unions. But Augustine avoided the bye law. He purposely distorted the name in the Cause List and he categorically filed a writ petition using name of Probir Reza. Immediately, the High Court gave a verdict but the Supreme Court upheld the CUDCC course as compulsory to participate in the CCULB election.
The election committee formed by the Department of Cooperatives had no power to ignore the judgment of the Supreme Court. But the judgment of the Supreme Court has been ignored. CCULB delegates allege that they are not able to take legal actions or protest irregularities due to the fear of various harassments including attacks and cases. In order to resolve the problem, they demand removal of the present chairman of CCULB and punishment to president of the election committee and additional registrar Kazi Mejbah Uddin Ahmed, member joint registrar Sheikh Md. Kamal Hossain and member inspector Taif Md. Mosharraf Hossain Chowdhury for violation of the Supreme Court order. They also want a Sou moto rule of the Supreme Court.
A complaint has been raised that Augustine Purification did not have primary qualification for CCULB election. Even, he did not complete the Finance and Accounts Management course, which is a prerequisite for the CUDCC course. Augustine Purification (Writ Petition No-11327/2022) and David Probin Rozario (Writ Petition No-11808/2022) filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking annulment of CCULB rules (CUDCC course related section of CCULB bye law). The High Court stayed the application of the CCULB rules but later the Supreme Court overturned the stay order of the High Court.
In another case,The Cooperatives Act 2001 (Amended 2013) was passed in the Jatiya Sangsad after several committees had finalized the draft through adequate verification and exchanging views with the representatives of the cooperative societies and consultation with experts. At present, the number of cooperative societies registered by the Department of Cooperatives in the country is about 1 lakh 96 thousand with 12 lakh members. The law was passed in 2013, but no person without three persons- Augustine Purification, Emmanuel Bappi Mondal and Badal B Simsang- went to the court, challenging the law. Even, the members of the management committee of the Christian Cooperative Credit Union Ltd., Dhaka, the largest cooperative society of the Christian community, who served for three consecutive terms, did not contest in the election due to the law.
According to the law, no one will come in the management committee for the fourth time. But sources said, Chairman Augustine Purification, Secretary Emmanuel Bappi Mondal, Treasurer Badal B. Simsang and Director Kalpana Falia are serving for the fourth terms in The Metropolitan Christian Cooperative Housing Society Ltd, ignoring the cooperatives law. In this regard, the audit report of the Department of Cooperatives for the fiscal year 2020-21 directed to remove four people, including the chairman, who was elected for the fourth term, and to stop bank accounts operating under their signatures. Augustine Purification also ignored the directive, sources said.
