Newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Sunday said the Election Commission under him will try to deliver the best for holding a free and fair election.
He said, “The EC alone cannot hold a free and fair election. It needs cooperation from all stakeholders. Then we will be able to deliver the best.”
The new CEC made the remarks while talking to journalists immediately after he, along with four other election commissioners, took oath at a function held at the Supreme Court Judges’ Lounge in the afternoon.
“Whether there is any challenge will be understood after the responsibilities are handed over to us. Then we have to determine our strategies,” he said.
Habibul Awal expressed hope that the next general election will be held with the participation of all the political parties.
Replying to queries, he said only the Election Commission does not conduct polls; the EC has a vast of other works and responsibilities.
“Many things are involved with the EC. If all the stakeholders extend their hands of cooperation, the EC will be able to discharge its duties properly,” he added.
The new CEC sought cooperation and blessings from all the political parties through their participation.
Newly appointed CEC Kazi Habibul Awal and four other election commissioners were sworn in on Sunday.
Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique administered their oaths at a function held at the Judges' Lounge of the Supreme Court at 4:30pm.
Supreme Court Registrar General Md Ali Akbar moderated the function.
Judges of the Appellate Division, including Search Committee Chairman Justice Obaidul Hassan, SC officials and Election Commission officials and newsmen, were present at the oath-taking ceremony.
Earlier on Saturday, President M Abdul Hamid appointed former senior defense secretary Kazi Habibul Awal as the CEC and four others as election commissioners for the next five years.
Those four election commissioners are: former district and sessions judge Rashida Sultana, Brig Gen (retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan, former EC secretary Md Alamgir and former senior secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division Anisur Rahman.
It should be mentioned that the tenure of the immediate past Election Commission led by KM Nurul Huda ended on February 14. Therefore, for the first time of the country’s 50 years’ history, the new EC was formed through a law enacted by the National Parliament on January 27.
As per the law, a six-member Search Committee led by Appellate Division Justice Obaidul Hasan of the Supreme Court was formed on February 5 to find out eligible personnel for the posts of the CEC and four other EC members.
Five other members of the Search Committee were 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.
Day after the formation of the Search Committee, it on February 6 had urged all the 39 political parties registered with the EC for suggesting names of eligible personnel for the posts of the CEC and EC members. The Search Committee also had urged the individuals for the same suggestions.
In response to the Search Committee, 24 political parties, including the ruling Awami League, six other non-political organisations and a number of individuals had suggested a total of 329 names as the proposals for the posts of CEC and EC.
However, some 15 political parties, including BNP and CPB did not respond to the call of the Search Committee.
As per the procedure, the Search Committee later on Thursday sort out 10 names from the list and submitted the list to the President with recommendations. Then, the President selected five names from the 10 proposed names.
According to sources, the CEC and all other four members of the EC have been selected from the list proposed by different political parties, non-political organizations and by some individuals. The list comprised of proposed names earlier was made public for the sake of the transparency of the Search Committee.
As per the list comprising 322 proposed names published by the Cabinet Division, the name of newly appointed CEC Kazi Habibul Awal, a former secretary of the Ministry of Defence, was on 49th position.
Of the four new EC members, former District and Session Judge Begum Rashida Sultana was on the 261st position, and accordingly the name of former Brigadier General Ahsan Habib Khan was on the 236th position, former Senior Secretary Md Alamgir was on 154th position and the name of former Senior Secretary Anisur Rahman was on the 144th position.
