Staff Reporter :
The President, Md Abdul Hamid, on Monday night appointed former secretary Nurul Huda as the new Chief Election Commissioner for the 12th Election Commission as recommended by the Search Committee, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told journalists at a press briefing at the Secretariat.
Besides, the President also appointed four other Election Commissioners. They are: former secretary Rafiqul Islam, former additional secretary Mahbub Talukder, former judge Kabita Khanam and Brigadier General (retd) Shahdat Hossain Chowdhury.
“Based on recommendations made by the search committee the new EC has been constituted. And the CEC and four other election commissioners have been picked from the names given by the political parties,” Shafiul Alam said, adding the EC Secretariat will issue a gazette notification in the regard.
Earlier in the evening, the six-member Search Committee led by Appellate Division judge Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain submitted its recommended names to the President at Bangabhaban for appointing Chief Election Commissioner and four other election commissioners.
“The search committee on Monday evening submitted a report with two names for the Chief Election Commissioner and eight names for four election commissioners to the Election Commission Secretariat,” President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told media last night.
The search committee recommended names also include: former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder for CEC, and Professor of Public Administration Department Dr. Jarina Rahman Khan, local government expert Dr. Tofail Ahmed, former Planning Commission member Md. Abdul Mannan and pro-vice-chancellor of BUP and chairman JANIPOP Professor Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah. Public Administration Department Dr. Jarina Rahman Khan, local government expert Dr. Tofail Ahmed, former Planning Commission member Md. Abdul Mannan and pro-vice-chancellor of BUP and chairman JANIPOP Professor Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah.
During the submission of the report, the search committee hoped that the final decision would come as per the recommendation of the committee to ensure transparent and accountable tasks of the new Election Commission, said the press secretary.
The President thanked the search committee members for their role in picking the 10 names within the stipulated time.
Earlier in the afternoon, the committee at its last meeting held at Supreme Court’s Judges Lounge finalised a list of 10 names picked from the recommendations made by political parties.
The other members-High Court Division Judge Obaidul Hassan, Bangladesh Public Service Commission Chairman Dr Muhammed Sadique, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of Bangladesh Masud Ahmed, Dhaka University Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam and Chittagong University Pro-Vice Chancellor Shireen Akhter-were also present at the Bangabhaban.
“The cabinet division will issue a gazette notification disclosing the names of Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners of the new EC by February 8,” Abdul Wadud, Additional Secretary of the cabinet division, told journalists after the meeting on Monday.
He said then the president will appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and four Election Commissioners among the 10 names.
Earlier on January 25, the President Abdul Hamid formed the six-member search committee after holding a series of talks with 31 registered political parties on formation of the next Election Commission.
The committee had been asked to submit their recommended names within 10 working days by February 8.
Meanwhile, according to Bangabhaban sources, the Search Committee placed a summary of the recommendations made by the 16 eminent personalities of the society.
The next commission will be in office for a five-year term. The tenure of the current EC members expires on February 8.
The search committee in its first meeting asked names from the 31 political parties, which attended the dialogue with the President, to find out the suitable persons for reconstituting the EC.
Responding to the call of the search committee, 27 political parties out of 31 proposed a total of 125 names. Among them, 20 persons’ names have been short listed by the committee. The search body prepared the short list following the suggestions of the noted citizens.
Later, the committee in two phases exchanged views with 16 eminent personalities of civil society to seek their opinion and suggestion in a bid to constitute the EC with honest, able, neutral and non-partisan persons.
The tenure of the incumbent Election Commission, headed by Kazi Rakib Uddin Ahmad, will expire on February 8. The tenure of a commissioner, AKM Shahnewaz, however, will end on February 15.
