Six-member search committee formed [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Six-member search committee formed

Local January 26, 2017

The committee includes Justice Obaidul Hassan of the High Court, comptroller and auditor general of Bangladesh Masud Ahmed, Public Service Commission chairman Muhammed Sadique, Dhaka University English professor Syed Manzoorul Islam and Chittagong University pro-vice-chancellor Shireen Akhter, according to a gazette notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
The search committee was been asked to submit its recommendation to the president in 10 working days.
For the appointment of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners, including a woman, the search committee have to recommend two people against each position, the gazette notification said.
The attendance of three members of the search committee would make the quorum and the Cabinet Division will provide secretarial support to the committee, the notification mentioned.
It said that the search committee might decide its procedures.
The search committee was formed ‘pursuant to the Article 118(1) of the constitution following the president’s talks with the registered political parties,’ read the gazette notification.
‘The president has formed the search committee to recommend names to him for appointments as chief election commissioner or other commissioners after holding talks with registered political parties,’ Cabinet Division additional secretary Md Abdul Wadud told reporters.
The president received proposals from 31 political parties during his talks with them on the reconstitution of the commission from December 18, 2016 to January 18, 2017.
Twenty of the parties proposed enactment of a law on the appointment of the chief and other election commissioners saying that the president had to make the appointment under the provisions of a law as stipulated in the constitution.
No such law has yet been enacted since the adoption of the constitution in 1972.
Justice Mahmud also led the previous search committee formed by the late president Zillur Rahman in 2012 and his committee had recommended the incumbent chief election commission and the four election commissioners.
Muhammad Sadique, a career bureaucrat, served as secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat during the January 5, 2014 parliamentary polls, boycotted by all opposition parties.
Shireen Akhter, a professor of Bangla department at Chittagong University, has been holding the office of pro-vice chancellor of the university since March 2016. Her father late Afsar Kamal Chowdhury was the founder president of Cox’s Bazar district unit of the ruling Awami League.
Shireen is also a member of Cox’s Bazaar district unit of Mahila (Women) Awami League, according to her curriculum vitae posted on the website of Chittagong University. She was elected member of Chittagong University Teachers Association from the ruling AL-backed ‘Yellow Panel’ in 2013. She is a life member of the Bangla Academy.
Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain is the fourth senior most judge at the Appellate Division.
He was appointed deputy attorney general in December 1999 and additional High Court judge in February 2001 during the AL government.
His service as a High Court judge was regularised on February 22, 2003 during Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance government.
He was alleviated to the Appellate Division on February 23, 2011 during the AL-led alliance government.
Justice Mahmud Hossain was born in Comilla. He is son-in-law of the country’s first inspector general of police and former home secretary Late Abdul Khaleque, a member of Mukti Bahini.
Justice Obaidul Hassan was chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal-2 until he backed to the High Court in November 2016.
He was appointed additional High Court judge on June 30, 2009, five months after the Awami League came to power in January 2009.
His service as a High Court judge was regularised on June 6, 2011.
He was appointed as chairman of the International Crimes Tribunal-2 on December 13, 2012.
Justice Obaidul Hassan was born in Netrokona. He is older brother of prime minister’s personal secretary-1 Sajjadul Hassan.