Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal today pledged to stand beside voters if they face any obstacle while exercising their voting rights.

New Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal today said that consensus among political parties is much needed for free and fair elections.

Immediately after taking oath, newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal today said they will tackle the challenges for holding the elections without any fear.

Newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal and four election commissioners were sworn in this afternoon.

Former senior secretary Kazi Habibul Awal is the chief election commissioner for the next five years. The Election Commission will hold the 12th parliamentary election and polls to all the other tiers of the government with him at its helm.

The newly appointed chief election commissioner along with three other ECs spoke to The Daily Star after being appointed by President Abdul Hamid today.

Former secretary of defence ministry Habibul Awal has been appointed as the next chief election commissioner.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has demanded for publishing the final list of 10 people that the search committee submitted to the president to appoint the chief election commissioner and other commissioners.

The Search Committee, tasked to propose 10 names to form the next Election Commission, has included the names of a male and a female from the minority communities in the final list.

The search committee, tasked to propose 10 names to form the next Election Commission, handed over the final nominations to President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.

The search committee has finalised 10 names to propose to the president for forming the next election commission.

The Search Committee is holding a meeting today to finalise its nominations for the next Election Commission.

The search committee, tasked to propose nominations to constitute the next Election Commission, will not publish the final nominations, said Justice Obaid Hassan, head of the committee, today.

The search committee, tasked to propose nominations to constitute the next Election Commission, will finalise 10 names for the post of the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Hasan Mahmud today said Shujan (Sushashaner Jonno Nagorik) is not a stakeholder in the election and posed a question as to why the non-government organisation is acting like a “big brother” over the formation of the new Election Commission.

Citizens’ platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan) today urged the search committee to work with full transparency by making public the names of the political parties and their proposed persons for the roles of new chief election commissioner (CEC) and other ECs respectively.

The search committee is set to hold its next meeting on Saturday at 11:00am at the Supreme Court Judges’ Lounge to finalise the names to propose to the president for constituting the next Election Commission.

Eminent jurist Shahdeen Malik wrote to the Cabinet Division to withdraw his name from the proposed list of the next Election Commission.

Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukdar today alleged that there is “no democracy” in the country as well as an absence of reflection of the people’s will in the elections.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), KM Nurul Huda, today said that they are “not embarrassed” by the commission's performance over the last five years.