Bangladesh tables EC formation bill in parliament to pass

Law Minister Anisul Huq has tabled the much-discussed bill on the formation of the Election Commission in parliament, seeking to pass it amid criticism from political leaders.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury approved the minister’s request to consider the bill on Thursday.

Later, the speaker began to settle the amendments to the bill and forwarded them to a committee for scrutiny.

Members of BNP, Jatiya Party, the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and the Workers Party had brought the amendment proposals to the bill.

While the proposals were being passed to send to the scrutinising committee, the BNP and Jatiya Party MPs demanded the parliament's representation in the search committee. They criticised many aspects of the bill.

The president will sign it once the bill is passed and Bangladesh will get its first law on appointing the chief election commissioner and commissioners.

The bill drew flak from the political parties as well as from the civil society in Bangladesh. The next election commission will be formed under this law.

Law Minister Anisul Huq presented the bill to the parliament last Sunday. It was then forwarded to the parliamentary standing committee on the law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry to scrutinise it and submit a report back to the parliament in a week.

Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, president of the parliamentary standing committee, brought the bill to the parliament with two amendment recommendations on Wednesday.