We hail the six-member search committee led by Appellate Division Justice Obaidul Hassan of the Bangladesh Supreme Court formed to reconstitute the next Election Commission (EC). The committee has been formed as per the law and it will help constitute a new election commission as the incumbent commission’s tenure will expire on February 14.
It is the outcome of a month-long dialogue between the President and registered political parties over the election commission reconstitution. The new commission will conduct the country’s 12th parliamentary polls. As per the EC law, the search committee can get 15 working days to recommend names to the president and seek names from political parties and professional bodies. Based on majority, the committee will take decisions. Later, it will recommend two names for each of the posts of the chief election commissioner and other commissioners for the next commission.
We expect this committee will be admired,
respected, trusted and accepted by all
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’. In this regard, the committee Chairman Justice Obaidul Hasan requested the cabinet secretary to convene a meeting of the committee on Sunday. The first meeting of the search committee was scheduled to be held at the Judges Lounge of the Supreme Court yesterday.
Justice Obaidul Hasan categorically said the committee will perform its duties in accordance with the constitution and law. Therefore, we believe this search committee will carry out its responsibilities given by the honourable president on behalf of the nation with utmost sincerity and fairness.
Besides, it will submit the list of suitable persons within the stipulated time.
So, they will be working sincerely to find out the right people for the new commission appointments and doing their job as per the law and the constitution as well.
We expect this committee will be admired, respected, trusted and accepted by all. And a free, fare, impartial and a credible national poll will be held by the new commission which will be formed by the search committee.
We hope the new commission itself will be strong, capable, and independent for holding poll in fair and transparent manner. We believe based on search committee’s recommendations, the President will appoint the CEC and other commissioners who will be acceptable to all and people will be able to exercise their franchise in peaceful and festive manners in the upcoming national polls.
