President Abdul Hamid has formed a six-member search committee, led by an Appellate Division judge, for constituting the next Election Commission.

Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, who headed the committee that recommended the members for the incumbent EC led by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, has been picked to helm this committee as well.

The other members 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, Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, trustee board member of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), and Shireen Akhter, pro-vice chancellor of Chittagong University.

This panel will recommend two names for each post of election commissioner. One of the commissioners will be a woman, said a gazette notification, signed by Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, yesterday.

It means the country is going to get its first female election commissioner.

The search committee will place its recommendations before the president within 10 working days, it said, adding that the presence of three members would make a quorum.

Later, the president, on the prime minister's advice, will appoint the chief election commissioner and other commissioners.

The ruling Awami League and main opposition Jatiya Party have welcomed the search committee, but the BNP says it is “frustrated” and “aggrieved”.

Hamid formed the committee after talks with 31 political parties on the formation of the EC that would hold the general elections in 2019.

The talks began on December 18 last year and ended recently.

At the talks, the BNP proposed forming a search committee while most other political parties, including the AL, talked about framing a law for the constitution of the next EC.

The ruling party, however, said the president might go for the search committee because of time constraints.

In such a situation, the president opted to do what his predecessor Zillur Rahman did.

In 2012, the then president Zillur held talks with 23 registered political parties and formed a four-member search committee. The present EC was constituted following the committee's recommendations. Its tenure expires next month.

The Rakib-led EC drew a lot of flak for holding the January 5 “one-sided” elections where 153 lawmakers were elected unopposed in 2014.

The other members of that search committee were the then PSC chairman, CAG of Bangladesh and an HC judge.

This time, the committee includes two educationalists, and one of them is a woman.

Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain, a former election commissioner, said the search committee looks promising as “most of its members are experienced”.

Talking to The Daily Star last night, he said, “In the search committee, there are two neutral people apart from those holding constitutional posts. I hope they will propose names of some people acceptable to the president.”

AL AND JP HAPPY

Welcoming the search committee, AL presidium member and Health Minister Mohammed Nasim expressed hope that all political parties would accept it.

“We have full confidence in the honourable president and the search committee. He has given us a good panel,” he told The Daily Star.

Nasim said the AL will accept the election commissioners proposed by the body.

Jatiya Party (Ershad) Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader echoed Nasim's views.

The president has showed prudence in forming such a committee, he said, adding that he hoped the members of the panel would not “disappoint the nation”.

Hawlader also believed that the next EC would be acceptable and neutral.

BNP FRUSTRATED

Immediately after learning about the members of the search committee, the BNP said they were not only frustrated but also aggrieved.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told The Daily Star that the PSC chairman,   the CAG and the pro-VC were appointed during the tenure of this government.

“Again, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain led the committee that had formed the Rakib-led commission. So it is clear what kind of commission is going to be formed [by this search committee],” he said.

In 2012, when the BNP held talks with then president Zillur Rahman, it focused on the caretaker government system. The caretaker government system was abolished later and the party boycotted the January 5 elections.

But this time, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia floated the proposal to form the search committee for constituting the next EC.

The party also suggested some people as members of the panel but did not disclose the names.

SEARCH BODY MEMBERS

Contacted, Muhammed Sadique, chairman of the PSC, told The Daily Star, “I am yet to get the gazette notification. As a member of the committee, I will carry out my duties properly.”

Masud Ahmed, CAG of Bangladesh, said, “It is a challenging task [to pick the CEC and other commissioners] because all the political parties are looking at the issue. I will try my best to recommend neutral, non-partisan and competent people [as EC members]. I will be honest and sincere.”

Shireen Akhter said, “I feel honoured as the president has picked me as a member of the search committee. At first, we, all the members, will have a meeting, and then we will decide on the process of our work. I will do my best”.