Friday, May 03, 2024
President Md Abdul Hamid has formed a six-member search committee for the formation of the next Election Commission.
The Cabinet Division on Saturday published a gazette notification in this regard.
Justice Obaidul Hassan of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will lead the search committee.
Other members of the committee are — High Court Division Justice SM Kuddus Zaman, Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Bangladesh Public Service Commission Chairman Md Sohorab Hossain, former election commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain, and litterateur Prof Anwara Syed Haq.
The search committee will help reconstitute the next Election Commission as the incumbent commission’s tenure will expire on February 14.
The committee has been asked to submit its recommendations before the president in line with the new law titled “Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners’ Appointment Act 2022”.
On January 30, the president signed the bill into the law on EC formation. Earlier, the bill was approved in parliament.
The search committee is the outcome of a month-long dialogue between the president and the registered political parties over the EC reconstitution.
On December 20 last year, the president started a dialogue with the registered political parties in this regard.
Most of the participating political parties, including the ruling Awami League, advocated for the enactment of a law alongside the formation of a search committee to ensure an independent and credible Election Commission.
