Awami League, BNP submits names for next EC

The ruling Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have submitted the names separately of five people each they want as members of the next Election Commission to the Cabinet Division on Tuesday.

The names for the next Election Commission were submitted by Awami League Office secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap and BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi respectively.

The Cabinet Division is carrying out secretarial responsibility of the search committee, reports the Dhaka Tribune.

However, the two parties did not disclose the proposed names.

Golap said the list of proposed names was finalised at a joint meeting of the party on Monday.

"The high commands gave me an enveloped [containing the names] and I submitted it to the Cabinet Division," he said.

Golap said while selecting the proposed names of candidates' there background, credibility, transparency and belief in the spirit were considered.

The search committee for the next Election Commission was formed by President Abdul Hamid on January 25 after holding a series of talks with 31 political parties.

The six-member panel consists of Appellate Division Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain as convener, High Court Division Justice Obaidul Hassan, Public Service Commission (PSC) Chairman Muhammed Sadique, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Masud Ahmed, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Trustee Board member Prof Syed Manzoorul Islam, and Chittagong University Pro-vice Chancellor Shireen Akhter.