The ‘Election of Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Bill-2022’ has been passed in the National Assembly without any significant changes.
Law Minister Advocate Anisul Haque proposed to pass the law in the 16th session of the 11th National Assembly on Thursday (January 26). Later it was passed by voice vote.
The bill, earlier tabled in Parliament, was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for further scrutiny. If the committee recommends passage by bringing two amendments in the bill raised, the bill is passed by amending section two.
The law stipulates those one of the two prominent citizens nominated by the President in the inquiry committee will be a woman. The search committee’s work has been asked to be completed within 15 working days, ten working days in the bill raised in Parliament.
Now, after the signature of the President, if it is published in the form of a Gazette, for the first time, Bangladesh will get the law for the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner.
The first bill was called the ‘Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner Appointment Bill’. With the adoption of the amendment proposal in Parliament, the name will now be ‘Appointment Bill for Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners’.
Rashed Khan Menon of the Workers Party proposed to have a woman among the two prominent citizens in the search committee. If the law minister agrees to accept the proposal, the Parliament will vote on it. In other words, there will be a woman in the search committee that will recommend the President for the formation of the EC.
The bill said the President would form a six-member inquiry committee chaired by a judge of the Appellate Division nominated by the chief justice.
Members will be judges of the High Court Division nominated by the Chief Justice, Auditor General and Controller, Chairman of the Government Commission and two prominent citizens appointed by the President. A provision has been added to keep one woman among the two prominent citizens nominated by the President.
The bill provided ten working days for the search committee, which has now been 15 working days. The Parliament accepted Jatiya Party MP Fakhrul Imam’s amendment.
