Thirteen political parties, including ruling Awami League, on Saturday joined a discussion in the first phase with the Election Commission which took the initiative to inform them about preparations for the 12th parliamentary polls.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal presided over the hours-long discussion in the morning at the Election Commission building in Dhaka’s Agargaon.
Apart from Awami League, Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), a faction of Islami Oikya Jote, Gana Front, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), Trinamool BNP, Bangladesh Congress, National Awami Party, Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM), Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh, Islami Front Bangladesh, National People’s Party (NPP), and Gana Forum representatives took part in the discussion.
Nine other parties, including Liberal Democrat Party (LDP), Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), and Bangladesh Kallyan Party, did not attend the discussion.
Officials at the Election Commission said 22 parties, including Awami League, were invited to attend the dialogue in the morning session, while BNP and 21 other parties were invited in the second phase of discussion this afternoon.
Meanwhile, BNP and several of its allies have decided not to participate in the discussion.
The commission invited the presidents and general secretaries of the parties or two representatives appointed by them for the dialogue.
The EC said it is preparing to announce the schedule of the national election in mid-November and hold the polls in January.
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