The panel tasked with scoping out candidates for the next Election Commission has convened a meeting to finalise its shortlist of proposed commissioners.
The meeting began around 11:15 am on Saturday at the Supreme Court's Judges' Lounge after a two-day interval.
The committee, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan has until Feb 24 to submit a list of 10 nominees to President Abdul Hamid, reports bdnews24.com.
It was formed on Feb 5 as the Nurul Huda-led commission approached the end of its tenure.
The other members of the panel are Justice SM Kuddus Zaman, Comptroller and Auditor General Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Bangladesh Public Service Commission Chairman Sohorab Hossain, former election commissioner Mohammed Sohul Hussain and fiction writer Anwara Syed Haq.
Additional Cabinet Secretary Shamsul Arefin is performing the secretarial duties for the panel.
Over the last two weeks, the panel has met seven times - by themselves on four occasions and three times with distinguished citizens.
It has also received as many as 322 names proposed by political parties, groups of professionals, eminent citizens and individuals for the next EC.
The list mostly comprises professors, judges, former secretaries and former army officers.
The recently enacted law on the formation of the EC requires the committee to propose a list of 10 nominees to the president, with two candidates for each of the five positions, including that of the chief election commissioner.
The committee has 15 working days from its formation, or until Feb 24, to submit the names to the president, who will then form the 13th Election Commission by picking candidates from the list.
The committee is under a duty to carry out its responsibilities impartially and transparently.
It will nominate a chief commissioner and commissioners according to the requisite qualifications, prohibitions, experience, skills and reputation, as stated by the law.
