Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Saturday urged the search panel formed by the President to propose the names of neutral and non-partisan persons to constitute the new Election Commission (EC).

“The search committee has been formed exactly the opposite to our proposal on its structure. Our party has already voiced frustration over it. However, I want to be optimistic that it won’t propose the names of persons who had link to any party politics,” he said.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, came up with the comment while speaking at a discussion arranged by Jatiyatabadi Sangskritik Jote at National Press Club. 

He urged the search committee to consider the persons who are honest, prudent acceptable and brave for the EC.

“I would like to call upon the search committee to recommend names of such persons so that people can keep confidence in you that you’re working for forming a neutral Election Commission. You should not recommend the names of the persons who have background of having link with any party. You also should not suggest anybody’s name who has involvement with our party. We don’t want it,” the BNP leader said.

He also emphasised negotiation among political parties through talks for resolving the countries ‘political crisis’.

Moudud said their party has long been trying to reach an understanding with the ruling party as it is the main way to overcome any problem. “A political negotiation is a must over the Election Commission and the election-time government. We’ll put our sincere efforts to resolve the political crisis through a negotiation. We hope the government will finally come forward to this end.”

He warned that if the ruling party does not come to an understanding, BNP will have no other alternative but to wage a movement to ‘restore the lost democracy’.