By IANS
Dhaka : With no parliament in existence, Bangladesh’s interim government is considering constituting a National Constitutional Council for appointing people to constitutional offices in a “transparent and accountable manner”.
“We are considering the formation of a constitutional council which will recommend suitable persons for appointment to constitutional offices which include the High Court, Election Commission, Public Service Commission and Anti-Corruption Commission,” Law Adviser Mainul Hosein told New Age.
These appointments are made by the president in consultation with an elected government.
The council of advisers, equivalent to a cabinet, on Wednesday considered a draft of the National Constitutional Council Ordinance 2007, but sent it back to the law ministry for further scrutiny.
The government’s move to form the council came in the wake of controversies over various appointments to posts like judges, chief election commissioner and members of the Anti-Corruption Commission made in the absence of specific criteria for appointment to constitutional positions.
Though it is a new concept in Bangladesh, there are such constitutional councils in many countries, including Nepal and Sri Lanka, the newspaper said.
The Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association had demanded at a press conference in August last year a similar council because of the controversy over the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.
Bangladesh earlier this month decided to continue with President Iajuddin Ahmed – whose five-year term has ended – as there is no parliament and no electoral college to elect a new president.
Bangladesh’s eighth Jatiya Sangsad (national assembly) was dissolved last October on completion of its five-year term. Fresh elections, however, were called off amidst political turmoil in January.