Dhaka: Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the President of the republic has jurisdiction to give the names of search committee members in a bid to constitute a new Election Commission.

"The President has the sole authority to name search committee members . . . No name was proposed from Awami League for this," he told journalists after signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) and Dutch Bangla Bank Ltd at a city hotel.

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, said, "We aren't giving any name here and hope no Awami League men will be included in the search committee."

He was very critical of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's remark that BNP is a promoter of multi-party democracy.

"BNP is not a proponent of multi-party democracy, rather it's the proponent of curfew democracy," the AL general secretary added.

Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Masato Watanabe, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Takatoshi Nishikata, Secretary of Roads and Highway Division MAN Siddique and Dutch Bangla Bank Chairman Sayem Ahmed were also present on the occasion.