Shawdesh desk:

The Cabinet approved the draft of Chief  Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner Appointment Act, 2022 aiming to formulate a law as per the Constitution.

The approval came at the regular Cabinet meeting held at the Cabinet Room of the Jatiya Sangsad with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

“Final approval was given today to adopt a law over appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners . . .,” said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam while briefing the newsmen in the Bangladesh Secretariat after the meeting.

As per the proposed law, a search committee will be constituted taking approval from the president regarding forming the Election Commission, he said.

He added, “The search committee will recommend the names of suitable candidates before the President to appoint the CEC and other election commissioners.”

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid has started a dialogue with registered political parties on December 20 last to discuss the issues related to the constitution of the Election Commission ahead of the 12th general election to be held at the end of 2023 or the early 2024.

Earlier, the last two election commissions, headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed and KM Nurul Huda, were constituted through the search committees formed by the president following his dialogues with the political parties.

The president picked the CEC and four election commissioners in 2012 and 2017 from the names suggested by the search committee.

Besides, the Cabinet cleared the drafts of three laws –Jatiya Muktijoddha Council Act, 2022, Bangladesh Gas, Oil and Mineral Corporation Act, 2022 and Anti-Inequality Act, 2022 (Boishomya Birodhi Aiyen)- as well as the draft of National Salt Policy, 2022.