Lesson 2/35 min
Election Commission, Public Service Commission and the Auditor General
The Election Commission (Article 118)
- Established by Article 118; its work is running elections and preparing voter rolls (Article 119)
- The Chief Election Commissioner plus as many commissioners as the President decides; five in all at present
- Appointed by the President; term of 5 years
- To be a voter one must be a citizen, at least 18 and not declared of unsound mind by a court (Article 122)
- The first Chief Election Commissioner was Justice M Idris
- In 2026 the Chief Election Commissioner is A M M Nasir Uddin (appointed November 2024)
Watch out: Khandokar's book names Kazi Habibul Awal as the current Chief Election Commissioner. That is out of date; in 2026 it is Nasir Uddin.
The Public Service Commission (Article 137)
- Established under Article 137; the chairman and members are appointed by the President (Article 138)
- The head is called the Chairman; the term is 5 years (Article 139)
- Members rank equal to a Supreme Court judge
- The first Chairman was Dr A. Q. M. Bazlul Karim (1972)
- In 2026 the Chairman is Professor Mohammad Nazmuzzaman Bhuiyan: appointed 2 September 2026 (Article 138(1)), sworn in 6 September 2026
Watch out: Khandokar's book names Sohrab Hossain (from 2020) as Chairman; that is out of date. The book gives 8 April 1972 as the founding date (asked in the 45th BCS), while another source says May 1972. Only the year 1972 is certain.
Did you know?: According to Zubair's book, the first Public Service Commission of the subcontinent was set up in 1926.
Watch out: The number of BCS cadres is 26 in Khandokar and 27 in Zubair. The books disagree, so it is left out here.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (Article 127)
- The office comes from Article 127; the President appoints; audits public accounts
- The Chief Justice administers the oath
Check yourself
Under which article is the Public Service Commission formed?
At a glance
- 1
The Election Commission is formed under Article 118; the President appoints; term 5 years; the first Chief Election Commissioner was Justice M Idris.
- 2
The minimum voting age is 18 (Article 122).
- 3
The Public Service Commission is formed under Article 137; its head is the Chairman; term 5 years.
- 4
The first Chairman of the Public Service Commission was Dr A. Q. M. Bazlul Karim.
- 5
In 2026 the Chief Election Commissioner is A M M Nasir Uddin; the PSC Chairman is Nazmuzzaman Bhuiyan (since September 2026).
- 6
The office of the Comptroller and Auditor General comes from Article 127.