Staff Reporter :
Members of the civil society on Monday suggested the search committee to pick honest, capable, non-partisan and accomplished individuals with moral responsibility for reconstituting the Election Commission (EC) who will be able to conduct the next general election in an impartial and transparent manner.
The search committee held a meeting in the afternoon with 12 eminent personalities of the country’s civil socie
ty at the Supreme Court Judges’ Lounge in Dhaka.
“We suggested the search committee to form the new Election Commission with honest, capable and accomplished individuals with moral responsibility who can conduct the next general election in transparent and impartial manners,” Sultana Kamal, rights activist, told reporters after the meeting.
The other eminent personalities attended the meeting are: former judge of the High Court division of the Supreme Court Justice Abdur Rashid, former Vice-Chancellors of University of Dhaka Professor A K Azad Chowdhury and Professor S M A Faiz, Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury, Professor Dr Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque, Local Government Expert Professor Dr Tofayel Ahmed, former Chief Election Commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda, former Election Commissioners retired Brigadier General Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain and Muhammed Sohul Hussain, former Inspector General of Police Nurul Huda and Secretary of SUJAN Dr Bodiul Alam Majumdar.
They started their meeting about 4.30pm. After about one and a half hours meeting the civil society members spoke with the media.
Sultana Kamal said, “Search committee will perform according to their process. They discussed with us today (Monday). They wanted to know what kind of election commission people expect.”
Professor A K Azad Chowdhury said, “We suggested the search committee to pick those persons who have strong moral values and have glorious record of dedication for the country.
Former Chief Election Commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda said, “Such an election commission should be formed so that people can keep trust on it. We also suggested for those persons who did not have any political affiliation. They must be honest, capable and non-partisan.”
However, he said that they did not mention any name for the CEC or EC posts in the meeting. He thought that the search committee should not disclose any name if suggested in future. And, actually they should not do this.
Professor Dr Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque said, “We participated in the meeting. What kind of values should have with the members of the reconstructed body of the EC was discussed in the meeting.”
Although time is short there is still the opportunity to form a law for constructing the Election Commission, he said in the meeting.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, who is acting as mnember secretary of the search committee, said after the meeting, “The committee heard from the 12 eminent personalities of the civil society. They suggested for reconstruction of the Election Commission. We recoreded their speeches. Their main speech was to pick honest and capable persons for reconstructing the Election Commission. They did not suggest any name for the posts.”
The search commiitte would hold another meeting with some other members of the civil society on February 1 in the same place, said the Cabinet Secretary.
The persons are: former Chief Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hena, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, Editor of the daily Samakal and Chairman of the board of directors of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Golam Sarwar, Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam and retired Major General Abdur Rashid.
Earlier on January 25, President Abdul Hamid formed the six-member search committee, headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, after holding a series of talks with 31 political parties over reconstitution of the EC.
The other members of the search committee are: Justice Obaidul Hassan, a High Court judge, Muhammed Sadique, chairman of Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC), Masud Ahmed, Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh, Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, trustee board member of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), and Shireen Akhter, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Chittagong University.
The tenure of the incumbent commission expires next month.
According to the gazette notification published on January 25, the search committee will recommend two names each for the posts of the EC chief and four election commissioners.
Later, the President, on the Prime Minister’s advice, will appoint the EC chief and other commissioners.
Members of the civil society on Monday suggested the search committee to pick honest, capable, non-partisan and accomplished individuals with moral responsibility for reconstituting the Election Commission (EC) who will be able to conduct the next general election in an impartial and transparent manner.
The search committee held a meeting in the afternoon with 12 eminent personalities of the country’s civil socie
ty at the Supreme Court Judges’ Lounge in Dhaka.
“We suggested the search committee to form the new Election Commission with honest, capable and accomplished individuals with moral responsibility who can conduct the next general election in transparent and impartial manners,” Sultana Kamal, rights activist, told reporters after the meeting.
The other eminent personalities attended the meeting are: former judge of the High Court division of the Supreme Court Justice Abdur Rashid, former Vice-Chancellors of University of Dhaka Professor A K Azad Chowdhury and Professor S M A Faiz, Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury, Professor Dr Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque, Local Government Expert Professor Dr Tofayel Ahmed, former Chief Election Commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda, former Election Commissioners retired Brigadier General Muhammad Sakhawat Hussain and Muhammed Sohul Hussain, former Inspector General of Police Nurul Huda and Secretary of SUJAN Dr Bodiul Alam Majumdar.
They started their meeting about 4.30pm. After about one and a half hours meeting the civil society members spoke with the media.
Sultana Kamal said, “Search committee will perform according to their process. They discussed with us today (Monday). They wanted to know what kind of election commission people expect.”
Professor A K Azad Chowdhury said, “We suggested the search committee to pick those persons who have strong moral values and have glorious record of dedication for the country.
Former Chief Election Commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda said, “Such an election commission should be formed so that people can keep trust on it. We also suggested for those persons who did not have any political affiliation. They must be honest, capable and non-partisan.”
However, he said that they did not mention any name for the CEC or EC posts in the meeting. He thought that the search committee should not disclose any name if suggested in future. And, actually they should not do this.
Professor Dr Abul Kashem Fazlul Haque said, “We participated in the meeting. What kind of values should have with the members of the reconstructed body of the EC was discussed in the meeting.”
Although time is short there is still the opportunity to form a law for constructing the Election Commission, he said in the meeting.
Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, who is acting as mnember secretary of the search committee, said after the meeting, “The committee heard from the 12 eminent personalities of the civil society. They suggested for reconstruction of the Election Commission. We recoreded their speeches. Their main speech was to pick honest and capable persons for reconstructing the Election Commission. They did not suggest any name for the posts.”
The search commiitte would hold another meeting with some other members of the civil society on February 1 in the same place, said the Cabinet Secretary.
The persons are: former Chief Election Commissioner Mohammad Abu Hena, Barrister Rokanuddin Mahmud, Editor of the daily Samakal and Chairman of the board of directors of the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Golam Sarwar, Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam and retired Major General Abdur Rashid.
Earlier on January 25, President Abdul Hamid formed the six-member search committee, headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, after holding a series of talks with 31 political parties over reconstitution of the EC.
The other members of the search committee are: Justice Obaidul Hassan, a High Court judge, Muhammed Sadique, chairman of Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC), Masud Ahmed, Comptroller and Auditor General of Bangladesh, Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, trustee board member of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), and Shireen Akhter, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Chittagong University.
The tenure of the incumbent commission expires next month.
According to the gazette notification published on January 25, the search committee will recommend two names each for the posts of the EC chief and four election commissioners.
Later, the President, on the Prime Minister’s advice, will appoint the EC chief and other commissioners.
