Dhaka: Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on Thursday warned that Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will be loser if it makes controversial the search committee formed by the President for constituting the Election Commission.

“BNP opposes everything we do. It welcomed the President’s initiative for dialogue and voiced happiness after meeting him. The President constituted the search committee with six neutral persons following the talks with all. I think it’s a neutral search committee,” he said.

The senior Awami League leader made the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Masato Watanabe at his Secretariat office.

On Wednesday, President Abdul Hamid formed a six-member search committee for reconstituting the new EC.

Giving their party’s reaction, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir voiced frustration and anger over the search committee, saying it was made as per Awami League’s choice.

Tofail said BNP should not oppose the search committee as it will propose the names to the President for constituting the fresh Election Commission. “BNP will be affected if it makes the search committee controversial as the party will join the election under the activities of the body it’s now maligning.”

He also disapproved Fakhrul’s comment that Awami League wants to hold another January-5 election, and said BNP leaders now realise how much they got affected by not joining the January-5, 2014 election, though they do not express it publicly.

The minister also hoped that BNP will participate in the next election to be held under the chief election commissioner and other commissioners to be formed from the names proposed by the search committee.