EC to sit with 12 more parties including Jamaat tomorrow

The Election Commission (EC) will hold talks tomorrow (Monday) with 12 more registered political parties, including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, as part of its ongoing dialogue ahead of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad election, report agencies.

The dialogue that began on Thursday will take place at the conference hall of the Election Building in the capital's Agargaon with Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin in the chair, said EC officials.

Md Ashadul Haque, assistant director (Public Relations) and alternative information officer at the EC Secretariat, said on Saturday the session from 10:30 am to 12:30pm will have discussions with Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote, Bangladesh National Awami Party, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, and Bangladesh Muslim League-BML.

Besides, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, the EC will meet Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Amar Bangladesh Party (AB Party), Bangladesh Development Party, Bangladesh Islami Front, Khelafat Majlis, and National Democratic Party-Jagpa.

However, as part of the dialogue, separately today (Sunday), the EC will hold two dialogue sessions. The first from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm with Gonoforum, Gonofront, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), and Bangladesh National Party, while the second from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm with Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal- Bangladesh Jasad, Bangladesh National Awami Party- Bangladesh NAP, Trinomul BNP, Krishak Shromik Janata League, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and Islami Andolon Bangladesh.

On the first day of the dialogue on Thursday, the EC held two sessions with 12 parties.

EC officials said the discussions with political parties will cover steps candidates and parties must take before the election schedule is announced, adherence to the code of conduct after the schedule is issued, signing of pledges with the EC and returning officers, appointment and management of election agents, prevention of misinformation and disinformation, regulation of AI misuse in elections, safeguarding communal harmony, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender, race, or religion, and preventing the use of religious places for political campaigning.