The government has named the members of the search committee to find suitable candidates for the Election Commission.
On Saturday, the Cabinet Division circular was published as a gazette notification naming Justice Obaidul Hassan of the Appellate Division as the head of the panel.
Justice SM Kuddus Zaman of the High Court Division has been included in the panel.
The comptroller and auditor general, and chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission has been made members of the committee as stipulated in the new law.
The government also named former election commissioner Muhammad Sohul Hussain and writer Anwara Syed Haq for the panel in line with the provision of the inclusion of two eminent citizens in the law,
On January 30, the government published the gazette on the “Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Appointment Act 2022” after President Md Abdul Hamid signed the bill the previous day.
The law stipulated the assembling of the six-member search committee within 15 working days.
Combination of file photos show (from top left) Justice Obaidul Hassan, Justice SM Kuddus Zaman, Bangladesh Public Service Commission Chairman Md. Sohorab Hossain, (from bottom left) Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, writer Anwara Syed Haq and former election commissioner Muhammad Sohul HussainAccording to it, three members will be enough to make a quorum while the Cabinet Division will provide the committee with secretarial assistance.
On January 27, lawmakers passed the bill in parliament paving the way for a legal framework for pointing the chief election commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners.
The incumbent commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda, will run its term on February 14.
Prior to this, the president had opened talks with the political parties in late December to discuss the formation of the next commission.
Most of the political parties have spoken in favour of introducing a new commission during their talks at the Bangabhaban.
The talks ended through his dialogue with the Awami League on January 17. Earlier the same day, the cabinet gave its greenlight to the draft of the proposed law, which included provision regarding a search panel for appointments of commissioners.
