The Election Commission (EC) is scheduled to sit with political parties on Saturday to inform and discuss the overall progress of its preparations for the upcoming general elections.
While the commission has reached out to all 44 registered political parties for the discussion, BNP has publicly declared their decision not to participate, with most of the party’s top leaders including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir landed in jail.
Dialogue sessions are planned for two slots, with the morning session at 10:30 am and the afternoon session at 3:00 pm, accommodating 22 parties in each session.
The EC has requested two delegations from each party to participate in the discussions.
Previously, a dialogue between the EC and political parties occurred in July last year. However, during that dialogue, nine parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), chose not to participate.
Apart from BNP, several other parties from its alliance have expressed their disinterest to the media regarding their decision to skip the discussion, including the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Revolutionary Workers Party, Kalyan Party, and JSD.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) is not participating, even though it is not part of any alliance.
Among the Islamic parties that will not attend the EC dialogue are Charmonai Peer’s party Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Khilafat Majlis, and Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis.
They were supposed to decide on Friday whether the Jatiya Party would attend. However, the party’s general secretary, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, was called on Friday night but did not answer.
Representing the Awami League, presidium member Lt Colonel (Retd) Faruk Khan and Information and Research Secretary Salim Mahmud will participate in the EC dialogue, as announced by the party’s office secretary Biplab Barua.
According to media reports, members of 14 parties, including Jasad and the Workers Party, will attend the discussion, similar to the Awami League’s decision. This same choice was made by the Gonoforum and the Bikalpa Dhara.
In addition, parties not aligned with any alliance but participating in the talks include Trinamool BNP, NPP, Bangladesh NAP, and the newly registered Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM).
Among the Islamic parties in favour of participating in the EC talks are Islami Oikya Jote, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Zaker Party, and Bangladesh Islami Front.”
