A six-member search committee has been constituted to form the new Election Commission (EC).
A notification was issued by the Cabinet Division on Saturday (February 5) morning.
Justice Obaidul Hasan of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has been made the head of the committee.
Other members of the committee are Justice SM Quddus Zaman of the High Court Division, Auditor General and Comptroller General, Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC), former Election Commissioner Muhammad Sohul Hossain and Litterateur Professsor Anwara Syed Haque.
According to the law, this search committee will propose two names for the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. The President will form a new Election Commission with the Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners under that name. That commission will conduct other elections, including the next parliamentary election.
According to the law, a quorum of meeting of the search committee will be formed in the presence of three members. The decision will be taken on the basis of majority vote of the members present at the meeting of the search committee. In case of equality of votes, the presiding member of the meeting shall have the power to cast a second or decisive vote. They will submit their recommendations to the President within 15 working days of the formation of the search committee.
However, since the term of the current Election Commission will expire on February 15, a new Election Commission has to be formed before that. As such, this search committee is getting 9 days to place their recommendations.