The President’s dialogue with all the registered political parties of the country started on December 20 last year with the aim of forming a search committee to appoint a new Election Commission (EC). The President invited all the parties registered for this dialogue. Although the ruling Awami League and the opposition Jatiya Party in Parliament, many parties took part in the dialogue, the BNP did not go. Apart from this, several other parties including their allies did not take part in the dialogue with the President.
BNP’s participation in the President’s dialogue was not right, said the founder of the Public Health Center. Jafrullah Chowdhury.
He made the remarks to reporters after a second-day meeting with the search committee at the Supreme Court’s conference room at 1pm on Saturday.
Earlier in the morning, eminent citizens had a meeting with the search committee formed to select eligible persons for the new Election Commission in the first and second phases. During the meeting, they made several suggestions and requests for the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. Taking part in the meeting, Jafrullah Chowdhury proposed eight names of his choice for the EC.
At the meeting, Jafrullah proposed eight names of his choice for the EC. He said this in response to the questions of the journalists present at the end of the meeting.
Jafrullah Chowdhury said, former Election Commissioner Bri as the Chief Election Commissioner. General Sakhawat has proposed the name of Hossain. Former Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Sujan Badiul Alam Majumder, former army chief Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, former secretary Shawkat Ali, former secretary Khaled Shams, former caretaker government adviser Sultana Kamal and former law secretary Kazi Habibul Awal have been nominated as election commissioners.
He said, ‘Publish as many names as there are, so that people can see. You can also look at the proposal.
Commenting that the BNP should sit in a meeting with the search committee formed by the President to form the EC at that time, Jafrullah said that several political parties including the BNP did not come. Talk to them and try to bring them. It is a different matter that the BNP is agitating for a change of government, they can suggest a name for the Election Commission.
He added, “There must be differences of opinion in politics. The BNP will agitate on the streets to realize their demands, that is their right. However, the BNP did not sit in dialogue with the President. Now the BNP should sit with the search committee that is working on the appointment of the election commissioner. At the same time, the search committee should call on the BNP as a big party to sit in the meeting again.
The term of the current Election Commission (EC) headed by CEC KM Nurul Huda is coming to an end on February 14. Before the new election commission must be formed by the President. Abdul Hamid.
Parliament has recently passed a law appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. A search committee has been formed on February 5 under the direction of the President to form an election commission with individuals as per the qualifications mentioned in the law. Senior Justice of the Appellate Division Waidul Hasan has been appointed as the chairman of the committee.
The other members of the committee are High Court Justice SM Quddus Zaman, Bangladesh Auditor General and Controller Muslim Chowdhury, Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Sohrab Hossain, former Election Commissioner Sohul Hossain and Professor of Literature Anwara Syed Haque.
According to the new law on the formation of the EC, the search committee will have to submit the names of eligible persons to the President within 15 working days. However, the committee concerned said that it would be possible to propose the name to the President after completing all the procedures.