The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) does not want a search committee, such as the previous one, to constitute the new Election Commission. Instead, the party is in favour of forming a creditable commission after consultations with all major political parties, BNP leaders said.
The party is ready to cooperate with the government, if necessary, in forming an “acceptable” Election Commission. The tenure of the present commission ends in February next year. There should be consensus among all parties on this, the BNP feels. Only then can there be free and fair elections, the leaders added.
The BNP secretary general, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, however, told this correspondent on Sunday night that they would make their position on the new EC clear in due time.
Earlier, in an interview with The Independent, Fakhrul said: "We demand overhauling of the EC... The new EC should be formed after consultation with all political parties to restore the confidence of the people in the electoral process.”  The present EC faced severe flak during the union parishad polls after violence claimed over 100 lives.
BNP standing committee member  Nazrul Islam Khan said they do not want to see a “spineless and loyal” EC like the present one headed by Rakibuddin Ahmed, which was formed through a search committee.  “We want a neutral and courageous EC that will uphold the country’s Constitution and abide by the law of the land. The commission will also keep its spine straight and not surrender to greed and pressure,” he added.
 Replying to a question, Khan said the BNP would finalise its position at the party forum when the process to constitute the commission begins.
 Another standing committee member, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, said they are working on the strategy on the formation of the new EC. “It is not possible to make any comment right now. We are watching and studying the situation,” he added. BNP vice-chairman, Maj (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, said they want the EC to be formed after taking the opinion of all major political parties. Only then will the commission be considered neutral and be acceptable to all. “We have seen the Rakibuddin-headed EC and its outcome,” he added.
 The BNP leader said one should have courage and a strong personality, honesty and a clean image to be part of the EC, and there are many such people in society. “If needed, we can provide their names,” he added. He also called for cancelling the 15th Amendment to the Constitution and restore the caretaker govt system.