Bangladesh is finally going to have a legal framework for selecting the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners as parliament passed
the “Appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners Bill-2022" on Thursday.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Haq moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote.
Law Minister Anisul Huq placed the Bill in parliament on January 23 seeking to give a legal shield to the current and previous Election Commissions formed through search committees. It was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for deeper examination.
On Wednesday, chairman of the committee M Shahiduzzaman Sarker placed the committee report with some changes in the original Bill
Once assented by the President, the law will provide legal cover to all activities of the search committees.
The government move came nearly 50 years after the constitution prescribed enacting a specific law for forming the EC.
Read: Report on EC formation Bill placed in parliament
Eligibility
The qualification of CEC and election commissioners, after the recommendation from the Parliamentary Committee, is that they must be Bangladeshi citizens with minimum 50 years of age, and have at least 20 years of work experience in important government, semi-government, private or judicial posts, autonomous and other professions.