Dhaka: Responding to its invitation, registered political parties of the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance has decided to separately propose names to the search committee for forming the new Election Commission (EC).

The decision was taken at a secretary general-level meeting of the alliance held at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office with BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in the chair. 

The search committee, formed by the President, invited Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Nap, Muslim League and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam alongside BNP to propose names to it for the EC formation.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, LDP general secretary Redwan Ahmed said, “We’ve reached a consensus over proposing the names to the search committee. We’re sending the names. We’ll finalise it tonight as to whose names we’ll propose.”

Meanwhile, BNP standing committee members’ Sunday night meeting was adjourned until Monday evening as it could not finalise its decision on whether the party will propose names to the search committee for constituting the EC.

“The meeting had detailed discussions on the search committee’s call for proposing five names. But, the meeting has been adjourned until Monday. You’ll surely be able to know about it tomorrow (Monday),” BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters emerging from the meeting.

However, two standing committee members who attended the meeting, wishing anonymity, said the BNP policymakers gave positive opinions about proposing the names to the search committee.

The search committee held its first meeting on Saturday asking each of the 31 political parties which took part in talks with the President over formation of the next EC to propose five names by Tuesday next.