Bangabhaban readies before forming search committee for Election Commission

The president’s office is busy with the final touches before the search committee for the next Election Commission is formed this week.

The panel will be formed in the coming two days, said Joynal Abedin, Press Secretary to the President, on Tuesday.

“A letter for forming the search committee will be sent to the Cabinet Division this week,” he said.

The Cabinet Division, like last time, will be in the secretarial role after the search committee is formed. 

The Bangabhaban, the president’s official residence, is for the first time confirming the formation of the search committee which was only mentioned earlier by Law Minister Anisul Huq.

The Constitution says the president will make a law in constituting the Election Commission, but that law was never enacted.

The late former president Zillur Rahman had appointed commissioners for the current EC from names nominated by the search committee, formed following talks with political parties.

The four-member committee headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain had suggested two names for chief election commissioner.

Former civil servant Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad was later chosen for the job.

President Zillur Rahman had selected five names to fill the commissioner positions from a list of ten names.

The current Election Commission’s term will end in February. The next commission will be in office for five years and have no more than five commissioners.