President Iajuddin Ahmed made the appointment completing reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) as the caretaker government had said the new commission would comprise three members. The president on February 4 appointed former bureaucrat ATM Shamsul Huda as the chief election commissioner (CEC), and Sohul Hossain as an election commissioner.

With the former military bureaucrat's swearing into the office today, the EC for the first time in its history will get a member with military background.

Meanwhile, CEC ATM Shamsul Huda and Election Commissioner Sohul Hossain met Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed at his office yesterday.

The CEC and the election commissioner informed the chief adviser (CA) that they are preparing a set of proposals for reforms in the electoral system, which will take a few more days to be completed, according to sources.

Sources in the EC Secretariat said the commission will propose to make political parties' registration mandatory and to increase the ceiling on election expenditure in an effort to thwart the influence of black money on polls.

Contacted by The Daily Star yesterday Sohul Hossain said about their visit to the CA's office, "It was just a courtesy call. We did not discuss any specific issue. The chief adviser assured us of all out support for holding a free and fair election."

The CEC on Monday told reporters that they will complete the task of preparing an action plan by next Sunday.

Sources in the EC Secretariat said the CEC might disclose the reform plan on Sunday.

Indian High Commissioner Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, and Pakistan High Commissioner Alamgir Bashar Khan Babar met the CEC separately yesterday and assured the EC of their cooperation in holding a free and fair election.