EC search body to sit with 5 more civil society members Feb 1

The search committee will hold a meeting with five more eminent civil society members on February 1 to discuss formation of the new Election Commission (EC).

The five civil society members are: Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, Golam Sarwar, editor of Bangla daily Samakal, Barrister Rokonuddin Mahmud, Abu Hena, former chief election commissioner, and Maj Gen (retd) Abdur Rashid, a security expert.

The meeting will be held at the Supreme Court Judges' Lounge around 11:00am on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam told reporters.

The search committee has also requested 31 political parties to propose five names for Election Commission head and members to the additional secretary of the Cabinet division by January 31.

READ MORE: Turn in 5 names, panel asks 31 political parties

The political parties have been requested to put forward the names by 3:00pm tomorrow though they have been asked to comply with the request by 11:00am.

Meanwhile, the six-member search body is expected to hold a meeting tomorrow at 4:00pm to discuss different aspects on formation of the new election commission, Alam said.

READ MORE: ‘Pick honest, capable people’

Earlier this afternoon, the search body held a talk with a group of 12 eminent civil society members.    

The civil society members suggested the search committee to pick honest and capable people for reconstituting the five-member Election Commission who will be able to conduct the next general election in impartial and transparent manners.