Dhaka: Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Thursday said President Abdul Hamid formed the search committee with qualified and nonpolitical figures for constituting the Election Commission.

“There’s no political figure or any Awami League man in the committee,” he said while speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the weeklong ‘Madhu Mela’ at Sagardari village of Keshabpur Upazila in Jessore.

The fair was organised marking the 193rd birth anniversary of poet Michael Madhusudan Dutta.

Quader, also Road Transport and Bridges Minister, distributed the ‘Madhusudhan Padak’ at the function.

Dhaka University English department teacher Prof Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam, also a search committee member, and poet Nirmelandu Goon were given the award this year.

Poet Maruful Islam received the award on behalf of Syed Manzoorul Islam as he could attend the function due to illness.

Taking about Syed Manzoorul Islam, Quader said he has no political identity and he never belonged to Awami League.

He also thanked the President for including him in the search committee.

Taking a swipe at BNP, the Awami League leader said, “Those who are vocal against this committee had included politically influential persons in the constitutional posts in the past.”

Earlier on Wednesday, President Abdul Hamid formed the six-member search committee, headed by Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain of the Appellate Division, for the reconstitution of the Election Commission as the tenure of the incumbent commission would expire on February 8.