Bangladesh to introduce new law on EC formation, search committee provision to stay

The Bangladesh government has approved the draft of a new law for the formation of the Election Commission, which includes a provision regarding a search panel for appointments.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 Jan 2022, 10:33 AM
Updated : 17 Jan 2022, 12:06 PM

The cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, approved the draft on Monday amid political parties’ talks with President Abdul Hamid on EC formation.

The draft of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner Appointment Act was approved, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam told the reporters.

”It’s a short act. It says that a search committee will be formed to provide recommendations to the president for appointing the chief election commissioner and election commissioner, as previous laws have,” he said.

The draft law also notes the criteria for an individual to be appointed as an election commissioner, said the cabinet secretary.

“They must be Bangladeshi nationals, at least 50 years old and must have worked in a government, semi-government, or private sector position or in the judiciary for at least 20 years,” he said.