The search committee, which was assigned to find out competent persons to reconstitute the Election Commission, picked the name of former bureaucrat KM Nurul Huda as the chief election commissioner (CEC) from the list submitted by HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party (JP). The 6-member search panel recommended the names of Huda and former cabinet secretary Badiul Alam Majumder to President Abdul Hamid for the top EC job on Monday and the president subsequently appointed Huda as the new CEC, who will be at the helm of the electoral affairs of the country for the next five years.
The president also appointed four other election commissioners -- former secretary Rafiqul Islam, former district and sessions judge of Rajshahi Kabita Khanam, former additional secretary Mahbub Talukder and Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury. A senior leader of JP told The Independent yesterday that the name of Huda was prescribed by their party.
Several members of the search committee, preferring anonymity, also confirmed that the name of Nurul Huda was in the JP list. “In the primary list his name was not included but later his name was added in the list as per the instruction of the party high-command,” a senior JP leader said. GM Quader, co-chairman of the party, however, expressed his ignorance about the inclusion of Nurul Huda’s name in the party list, saying that it was party chairman HM Ershad who made the final list.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of Jatiya Party (Manju) Sheikh Shahidul Islam said the name of newly appointed election commissioner Rafiqul Islam was in their list. “We put his name as he has the experience to run electoral affairs,” he said.
Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam, in a briefing on Monday night, said the name of former district and sessions judge Kabita Khanam was picked from Awami League’s list while Mahbub Talukder was in the BNP list.
Meanwhile, search committee members recommended the president for enacting a law to form the next EC in line with the provision of the Constitution. About the process of finalising the 10-member list to reconstitute EC, the panel members said they had checked and cross-checked the lists of political parties before ending the process.
“Out priority was to find the persons who have proper professional efficiency and experience and fitness required to delegate the responsibility of an election commissioner or the chief election commissioner,” said search committee member Masud Ahmed, also the comptroller and auditor general.
“We have also scrutinised the academic and professional background of the persons included in the list. We also verified whether any departmental case was field against the persons for corruption or any other irregularities,” he added.
Another search commission member Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam said he was saddened because of the absence of any civil society member in the Election Commission.
He observed that the EC should chalk out a 100-day plan and their first priority should be to earn the trust of political parties and the general public.
“And for all these, the new EC should start holding dialogues with all stakeholders including political parties,” said the search committee member.
The president formed the search panel, headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, on January 25, nearly a week after his month-long dialogues with 31 political parties on EC reconstitution. The panel was assigned to recommend two names each for the posts of CEC and four election commissioners by 10 working days.
The panel finalised 10 names at its last meeting at the Supreme Court Judges’ Lounge and submitted it to the president on Monday.
The search commission held its first meeting on January 28, and asked 31 political parties to propose five names each for the posts of CEC and commissioners by January 31.
Names of 20 persons were then shortlisted from among the 128 suggested by 26 political parties. The panel, however, didn’t disclose the names.
The search committee also held meetings with civil society members to get their views on EC formation.
Headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, the search panel included Justice Obaidul Hassan, a High Court Division judge, Muhammed Sadique, chairman of Bangladesh Public Service Commission, Masud Ahmed, comptroller and auditor general of Bangladesh, Dhaka University professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, also a trustee board member of Transparency International Bangladesh, and Shireen Akhter, pro-vice chancellor of Chittagong University.
The tenure of the incumbent commission headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed expires today, while one of the four commissioners would retire on February 14.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed CEC and four other election commissioners will take oath on February 15. Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha will administrate the oath at the Supreme Court Judges’ Lounge at 3pm, Sabbir Foyez, additional registrar of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, told the news agency.