TIB demands making the search committee’s final list public

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has demanded the search committee should make public, the final list of 10 names proposed for chief election commissioner and other commissioners following the addition of article 4(1) of EC law. 

In a statement issued Thursday, TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, "We demand that the search committee which has finalized 10 names after holding frequent meetings, and based on the opinions of so many people, make the list public. There is no restriction in the law by which the EC search committee has been formed to publish the list," he said.

Rather, the committee has been given the authority of making public the list under article 4(1) for the sake of transparency and neutrality, Iftekharuzzaman added.

"We call upon the search committee to disclose the names of the final 10 availing the legal authority and opportunity to do so as part of their responsibility," he said. 

He said the search committee has set a positive example by making public the list of 322 persons whose names were proposed by individuals and organisations.   

The TIB thinks that the expected level of transparency in forming the election commission is not enough to ensure holding a free, fair and inclusive election in the country. Rather it depends on the neutrality, courage, and role of the administration, law enforcement, and political parties, during the polls along with the government itself. People will feel good if the search committee discloses the names, considering their unbiased nature in discharging their responsibilities as per the law.