The president-appointed members of the search committee are in their first meeting to nominate candidates for the next Election Commission.
Headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, the meeting set off at the Supreme Court’s Judges’ Lounge around 4:30pm on Sunday, reports bdnews24.com.
The Cabinet Division is providing secretarial support to the committee. Along with the members of the committee, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam is also attending the meeting.
Islam will attend a briefing after the meeting.
The Cabinet Division announced six appointments to the search committee on Saturday after a Bill involving the first law on appointing the chief election commissioner and commissioners was passed in the parliament in late January.
According to the law, the committee will propose 10 nominees to the president within 15 working days on a list with two candidates for five positions, including that of the chief election commissioner.
The president will then form the 13th Election Commission picking from the list.
The tenure of the current KM Nurul Huda-led commission will end on Feb 14.
The BNP has questioned the neutrality of the new search committee while the Jatiya Party is waiting to see what names the committee propose for the next Election Commission
The law stipulates that the committee carry out their responsibilities impartially and transparently.
It will nominate a chief commissioner and commissioners considering the requisite qualifications, disqualifications, experience, skills and reputation as stated by the law.
To scope out capable candidates, the committee can ask political parties or professional organisations to forward names for the positions.
