Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Aziz has agreed to go on a three-month leave amidst prolonged transport blockade and street agitation for his resignation, report agencies.He (Aziz) has verbally conveyed his decision (Financial Express)

to President and Chief Adviser Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed," Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam told reporters Wednesday night.
The President is now awaiting a formal communique from Justice Aziz before addressing the nation with the news, the Adviser said after a meeting of the Council of Advisers at Bangabhaban.
Justice Aziz's interim absence from the office is seen as a crisis-management formula for restoring confidence of political parties in the Election Commission for holding free and fair general election in January.
The Awami League-led 14-party political alliance of ex-opposition leader Sheikh Hasina accused CEC Aziz of being biased to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's four-party alliance. Hasina sought reconstitution of the Election Commission by removing Aziz and his three deputies appointed by the Khaleda government.
President Iajuddin Ahmed would appoint two additional Election Commissioners as part of the Election Commission reform.
Meanwhile, CEC MA Aziz did not return to work Wednesday in what appeared to be a break with his norm.
The election chief who normally arrives in his office by 9.0 am did not do so, fuelling speculation that he might have decided to step down.
The police escorted Aziz home to Kakrail from the Election Commission Tuesday amid growing political fears from the transport shutdown enforced by the Awami League and its allies with calls for an overhaul of the main election office.
EC Secretary Abdur Rashid Sarkar was due to hold a press conference at 3:00pm after return from the Bangabhaban where he had "official work", Public Relations Officer SM Asaduzzaman told reporters.
Shortly after 4.00pm, EC Additional Secretary Mohammad Zakoria told bdnews24.com that the EC secretary would not return to the office and the press conference was cancelled.
On rumours over the CEC's resignation or leave, Zakoria said, "The CEC can go on leave anytime he wants."
"What I know is, he (Aziz) won't come to work today," he said without giving further details.
Earlier, an EC official, who did not want to be named, told bdnews24.com that Aziz was likely to convey his "decision" in a letter to the Bangabhaban sometime Wednesday.
The official did not explain further.
Meanwhile, Finance and Planning Adviser Akbar Ali Khan said Wednesday President and Chief Adviser Iajuddin Ahmed will appoint new commissioners as part of ongoing Election Commission (EC) reform programme aiming to help create a congenial election environment, acceptable to all parties.
Briefing the reporters, he said: "Advisers of the caretaker government have been assured by the President about the appointments of new commissioners for the EC."
Under the present caretaker government system, it is the President who has the supreme power to appoint new commissioners.
But in the parliamentary system, the President carries out instructions of the prime minister.
"We have faith in him as the President is a neutral person and a teacher, too," Akbar said, adding that the new commissioners will be dignified persons and acceptable to all.
But he did not disclose the number of new commissioners.
To a query, the finance and planning adviser said the EC will decide whether or not it will prepare a fresh voters' list, ahead of the next general election.
"It is also up to the EC as to when it will conduct the next election," he said.
But citing the general norms followed in the past, Akbar Ali said the EC needs 45 days' time to conduct an election.
He also said that the EC normally announces the polls date 15 days before the stipulated 90 days, so that it can have time to complete all the formalities to hold the general election.
To another query, Akbar Ali brushed aside the problem of time constrains and expressed his confidence about an acceptable environment being created throughout the country for holding free and fair election.
He added that EC officials can easily make the up the loss of time caused by the political unrest through working on weekly and public holidays.
"The EC will have to be more prompt in action," Akbar Ali said.