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A former bureaucrat is likely to be picked as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) as the Search Committee will submit the final list of the proposed names before the President for reconstituting the next Election Commission.
The panel is scheduled to meet the President at Bangabhaban in the evening for submission of the final list of 10 names as it has completed the job a day before the stipulated time.
The President formed the six-member committee, headed by Justice Obaidul Hassan, on February 5 and asked the body to recommend 10 names for the post of the Chief Election Commissioner and four other commissioners within 15 working days.
Sources hinted that former cabinet secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan or former chairman of Public Service Commission (PSC) Muhammed Sadique is likely to be appointed as the CEC.
The names of two university teachers, a former top police and army official, a representative of minority community, a former district and sessions’ judge and two women are in the list to get appointed as other four election commissioners, they said.
“The Search Committee is scheduled to meet the President at 7:15pm today,” President’s Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told reporters on Wednesday.
Asked when the President will announce the names of CEC and other commissioners, Abedin said the matter entirely depends on the President and he will make the appointment.
“After getting the names from the President, the Cabinet Division will issue a notification in this regard,” he said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Search Committee finalised the 10 names form the published 322 (actually 321 as one person withdrew his name) and around 10 other unpublished names.
The panel shortlisted the proposed names step by step from those proposed by the political parties, professional bodies and individuals.
The Search Committee, however, refrained from disclosing the 10 names.
Earlier on Sunday, the panel made the list of 12-13 names from 20 which were earlier shortlisted from 50 ones.
The Cabinet Division on February 14 published the list of 322 names proposed by political parties, professional bodies and individuals. But, a person withdrew his name from the race.
Some 26 political parties, including ruling Awami League and opposition Jatiya Party, submitted their choice lists to the Search Committee within the first deadline of February 11.
Although the panel later extended the deadline until February 14, some registered political parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), did not submit any names.
In such a situation, the Search Committee had decided to keep the scope for the political parties to submit names until the last moment.
On February 5, the President formed the Search Committee which will propose two names against each of the five posts after analysing their qualifications and eligibility.
The President will then constitute the new EC, taking five names from the proposed list.
The new EC will oversee the next parliamentary polls and other elections to be held in the next five years.
The tenure of the incumbent EC, led by KM Nurul Huda, ended on February 14.
