Jasad also calls for enactment of law on EC

After the Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jasad) has asked for enacting a law as stipulated in the constitution for the formation of the Election Commission.

"Even though the constitution states that there should be a specific law on the formation of the EC, unfortunately, the law has not been enacted yet. Therefore, Jasad has called on the president to take steps in this regard," said Jasad President Hasanul Haque Inu at a press briefing after attending a dialogue with President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Wednesday.

In such a situation, the formation of a search committee is an acceptable process to find relatively apt and skilled people, Inu said.

The party, however, thinks that all controversies over the electoral system needs to be settled by enacting a specific law on the formation of the EC and giving a definite and permanent structure to the process of formation of search committees at the initiative of the president, he added.

Jasad is the second party to take part in the ongoing dialogues between the president and political parties on the reconstitution of the EC.

The Jatiya Party, the main opposition in parliament, took part in the first dialogue with the head of the state on Tuesday.

In Wednesday's dialogue, Jasad did not propose any names for a search committee.

In this regard, Inu said, "Jasad thinks it is not appropriate to suggest any name for the formation of a search committee. The president has requested us to extend cooperation if the search committee wants a name."

Inu added that his party told the president that an election commissioner must be a "man of integrity" and called for reconstituting the EC with efficient, honest and impartial people.

Jasad thinks it is appropriate to nominate members of the search committee from among the justices of the Appellate Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, the Chairman of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission, the Auditor General and people holding constitutional positions.

A seven-member delegation led by the Jasad president joined the talks at Bangabhaban on Wednesday.

The delegation included General Secretary Shirin Akhter, acting president Advocate Rabiul Alam, Co-President Mir Hossain Akhter, Standing Committee Members Mosharraf Hossain, Advocate Shah Zikrul Ahmed and Rezaul Karim Tansen.