BNP nonchalant about EC formation search committee

BNP Standing Committee Member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku has said that his party is not enthusiastic about the just announced Election Commission (EC) formation search committee.

“It seems not neutral to me. BNP is not eager over the search committee,” Tuku came up with the remarks in an instant reaction over the search committee, on Saturday.

The government on Saturday published a gazette notification appointing Justice Obaidul Hasan of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court as chief of the committee.

The formation of a search committee does not matter to BNP indeed, alongside, the party is not concerned who will remain in the committee, the BNP leader said.

Responding to a query over neutrality of the search committee, Tuku said, “It is a very small country. Everyone knows who does what here.”

Reiterating that BNP is not interested in the search committee, he said his party wants holding of the next general election under a neutral and transparent administration.

“What the election commission will do ‘unless the government gets neutral.  The government will conduct the election then what will happen to the Election Commission?” he said.

The Election Commission will be effective if it can conduct the election under a neutral and nonpolitical government, he said, adding that no election will be held in a free, fair and impartial manner under the incumbent government.

The tenure of the current election commission will end on February 14.

Earlier, President M Abdul Hamid has begun talks with the country’s registered political parties to form a search committee and appoint the Chief and other Commissioners of the Election Commission.