A six member committee has been formed to recommend eligible personnel for appointing the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners (ECs).
The search committee is headed by Appellate Division Justice Obaidul Hasan of the Supreme Court.
With the approval by President Abdul Hamid, the Cabinet Division on Saturday issued a notification in this regard.
The search committee is authorised to reconstitute the Election Commission (EC) to conduct the next general elections.
Five other members of the search committee are Justice SM Kuddus Zaman of High Court Division, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Mohammed Sohrab Hossain, former Election Commissioner Mohammed Sohul Hossain and Professor Anwara Syed Haq, who is also known to all as a prominent writer and columnist.
The search committee was formed earlier to help reconstitute the next EC 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’.
President M Abdul Hamid signed the bill into the law on EC formation on January 30 last. Earlier, the bill was approved in the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament).
The search committee is the outcome of a month-long dialogue between the President and registered political parties over the EC reconstitution.
The President previously started a dialogue with registered political parties on December 20 last year 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 EC.
The incumbent government’s move to enact the law came nearly 50 years after the Constitution prescribed enacting a specific law for forming the EC.
Meanwhile, sources said, the newly formed search committee is expected to hold its first meeting today (Sunday, day after the committee was formed on Saturday.
Immediate after the committee was disclosed, its president Appellate Division Justice Obaidul Hasan of the Supreme Court on Saturday evening, however, said that he was yet to talk to other members of the search committee.
“Decision will be taken after talking to all other members of the committee”, said the search committee chief and continued as saying that they would keep updated to everybody about their decision through the media.