Shawdesh Desk:

With a big task to be completed at the earliest, the six-member Search Committee will request the registered political parties to propose names of eligible persons for the posts of chief election commissioner and other commissioners for the reconstitution of the Election Commission.

The committee took the decision unanimously at its maiden meeting at Judges Lounge of the Bangladesh Supreme Court in the capital on Sunday.

The meeting in presence of all the six members, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, started about 4:30pm and lasted for about three hours.

At the meeting, the Search Committee has also set a roadmap to get the names of 10 noted individuals by seeking names from registered political parties and holding meetings with professional bodies, experts and civil society members.

Emerging from the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam told reporters that the Search Committee would invite the political parties to propose names for the post of the CEC and other commissioners.

“The Search Committee will not sit for a meeting with the political parties. But, it will seek names of the prospective candidates from the political parties. The parties can submit their chosen names in person or email or website,” he said, adding that even interested person can also submit their bio-data before the body.

The Cabinet Secretary said that the panel has 15 days of time in completing the task given by the President to propose names of eligible personalities for the reconstitution of the EC.

“We hope that the task will be completed before the stipulated time,” he said.

The tenure of the incumbent EC, led by KM Nurul Huda, ends on February 14. The President has to form the new EC before the tenure of the incumbent EC.

The Cabinet Secretary said that the body would hold three meetings with different professionals, including journalists, experts and civil society members to have their opinions in this regard.

“The Search Committee will hold two meetings with different professional bodies, including journalist on next Saturday and civil society members on Sunday,” he said.

The body is scheduled to sit again on Tuesday at the Judges Lounge to determine its further course of action.

The President on Saturday formed the panel, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, asking it to propose names of eligible personalities.

The other members of the committee are High Court Division Justice SM Kuddus Zaman, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Mohammed Sohrab Hossain, former Election Commissioner Mohammed Sohul Hossain and noted litterateur Professor Anwara Syed Haq.

Of the six, the last two names of noted individuals have been recommended by the President.