The search committee, tasked with making recommendations for appointments to the next Election Commission, has finalised the names of 10 people to submit to the president for picking the chief election commissioner and four other commissioners.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said those who fail to appreciate the country’s achievements are “weeds of the land”.

BNP today claimed that corruption was patronised from the top level of government.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud yesterday said BNP is destroying the spirit of the Liberation War, Bangla and Bangalee.

BNP yesterday accused the Awami League government of destroying the spirit of the Language Movement.

The search committee is likely to propose names of former bureaucrats for the helm of the next Election Commission, sources said.

Voter turnout went down significantly in almost all local government elections under the immediate past Election Commission, compared to the polls held by the previous EC.

BNP today expelled former lawmaker Major (retd) Akhtaruzzaman for violating party discipline, according to a press release signed by party assistant office secretary Belal Ahmed.

The BNP today alleged that the government is “cheating” the people over the formation of the new Election Commission.

Criticising the search committee to form the next Election Commission, BNP yesterday said the country’s people will no longer fall into Awami League’s trap.

Prime Minister's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has condemned the ruling by the BNP-Jamaat government between 2001 and 2006, terming the period as "five years of Bangladesh's going backwards".

People of the country will no longer fall into Awami League’s trap over the election, said BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today while criticising the search committee.

Citizens’ platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) yesterday urged the search committee to work with full transparency by making public the names of the political parties and their proposed individuals for the roles of new chief election commissioners and other ECs respectively.

The search committee, tasked with recommending 10 names to the president to form the next Election Commission, shortened the proposed list of 322 to some 50 people.

Political parties that have yet to make their recommendations for forming the new election commission can still send the names of their nominees to the search committee by February 24.

One year has passed since Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury took charge, but most of his prioritised pledges are yet to be fulfilled.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today alleged that the search committee is working to form another Election Commission (EC) “obedient” to the government like the outgoing one.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said, “The caretaker government system was introduced in the country to hold free, fair, and transparent elections. This system, however, was destroyed by BNP.”

Almost one third of the individuals recommended to be in the next Election Commission are former bureaucrats.

Outgoing Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda yesterday said they have had successes but at the same time failed to earn the confidence of many political parties and fully check polls violence.