Search Committee won't disclose names of selected individuals

The Search Committee has selected 12 to 13 names for appointing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four Election Commissioners (ECs) as part of the formation of the Election Commission (EC).

Ten names will be finalised from those names at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
However, the Search Committee will not publish the names.

The names were selected from a list of 20 names at the sixth meeting of the Search Committee held at Supreme Court Judges' Lounge on Sunday (February 20) afternoon. After finalising 10 names, the list will be handed over to President Md Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban by Thursday (February 24).

Chaired by Search Committee's head Justice Obaidul Hasan of the Appellate Division, the meeting was attended by Justice SM Kuddus Zaman of the High Court Division, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Muslim Chowdhury, Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Sohrab Hossain, former Election Commissioner Muhammad Sohul Husayn and author Professor Anwara Syed Huq.

Cabinet Secretary Khondker Anwarul Islam provided secretarial support to the Search Committee at Sunday's meeting.

Following the meeting, Search Committee's head Justice Obaidul Hasan of the Appellate Division, told journalists that they would not disclose the names before submitting the list to the President.

"We'll not publish the names prior to submitting those to the President. It's under the jurisdiction of the President. If he thinks that the names will be published, he will publish. Otherwise not. Today, 12 to 13 names have been finalised. Another meeting will be held on February 22," he said.

Justice Obaidul Hasan further said the names will be submitted to the President by February 24 next.

The Search Committee sat in a meeting on Saturday to select the names of "qualified individuals." The meeting selected a brief list of 20 individuals.

The Search Committee has already published the names of 316 individuals proposed by different political parties, professional bodies and individuals.

The six-member Search Committee is scheduled to place the list of names of 10 individuals to President Md Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban by Thursday. Selecting maximum five names from the list, the President will subsequently form the 13th Election Commission. One of them will be given appointment as the CEC and the rest four are ECs. They will bear the responsibility of holding the 12th parliamentary election in the country.

END/SZA