The panel tasked with nominating candidates for the next Election Commission has shortlisted 20 names for the posts of chief commissioner and other commissioners.
The committee, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, prepared the preliminary list after evaluating the credentials of more than 300 proposed candidates during a meeting at the Supreme Court's Judges' Lounge on Saturday.
But the list must be whittled down to 10 and so the committee is expected to hold two more meetings this week, said Shamsul Arefin, secretary to the Cabinet Division who is providing secretarial support to the panel.
The committee has until Thursday to finalise the names and submit it to President Abdul Hamid, reports bdnews24.com.
"A preliminary list of 20 people has been drawn up based on their qualifications as stipulated by the law. The committee will work towards finalising the list in the next couple of meetings.”
The next meeting is scheduled for 4:30 pm on Sunday, he added.
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.
Over the last two weeks, the panel has met seven times - by themselves on four occasions and three times with distinguished citizens.
It had 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.