The Election Commission will be constituted through a search committee as it is not possible to form it through enacting a law right now, said law Minister Anisul Haque on Thursday.

“I’m not saying we won’t enact a law for forming the Election Commission as stated in the constitution. But it won’t be possible right now due to the Covid-19 pandemic as the tenure of the current EC will expire in February next,” he said.

The minister said this while responding to questions from journalists at a programme held at University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) in the city.

The minister said it has already been cleared by the Prime Minister recently that the Election Commission will be formed through a search committee.

“The President had sought opinion from all political parties when the search committee was formed. The gazette on the search committee was published when all agreed on it. The search committee gazette is not a law but close to a law as it was formed with a consensus and as per the President’s decision,” he said.

Read: Forming EC through search committee a deception: BNP

BNP & Search Committee

Earlier on Tuesday, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir the process of constituting the Election Commission (EC) through a search committee is a deception with people.

“We’ve the experience that the Election Commission through a search committee is formed solely with their (govt’s) people. Secondly, it’s nothing but a deception with people as they (govt) say the Commission is formed not by us, but by a search committee,” he said.

Talking to reporters at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office about the Prime Minister’s different comments on the next election, EC and BNP, the BNP leader said the current government earlier formed the EC completely with the people of its own choice and used them during the elections.

He said elections will never be free, fair and acceptable under any election commission unless an election-time neutral government is there to oversee the polls.

PM on EC formation

On Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the new election commission will be constituted through a search committee to be formed by the President.

Read: NID services will be made dynamic, says law minister

“The President will form a search committee and the election commission will be constituted through this search committee,” she said, replying to a question at a press conference at her official residence Ganobhaban.

JaPa & Search Committee

On September 14, Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader demanded the enactment of a law in line with the constitution to have a permanent solution to the problem over formation of the Election Commission (EC).

In a statement, he said, “It’s very unfortunate that there’s no law in the country to form the Election Commission, even after 50 years of independence.”

“We want the Election Commission to be formed through a law in the light of the constitution which will help ensure the voting rights of people. It can also help have a permanent solution to the Election Commission formation issue,” he observed.

The Jatiya Party chief said the President appoints the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners through forming a search committee after every five years which sparks various criticisms.