Talks with President over EC formation effective: AL

Staff Correspondent: Discussion between ruling Awami League and President Abdul Hamid over the formation of the new Election Commission (EC) ahead of the next parliamentary polls has ended.

The discussion began at 4:05pm and continued till 5:35pm on Wednesday.

After coming out of Bangabhaban, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader told reporters that the talks were “effective.”

The party would brief the media at the party president’s Dhanmondi office in the capital this evening about the talks, Quader said.

Earlier, a 19-member delegation of the ruling party, led by its president and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, entered Bangabhaban at 4:00pm.

The other delegation members are general secretary Obaidul Quader, advisory council members Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, AMA Muhith, HT Imam, Yusuf Hossain Humayun, Mohammad Zamir; presidium members Mohammad Nasim, Matia Chowdhury, Sahara Khatun and Syed Ashraful Islam; joint general secretaries Dr Dipu Moni and  Jahangir Kabir Nanak, legal affairs secretary Abdul Matin Khasru, publicity and publication secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud, office secretary Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap and law minister Anisul Huq.

President Abdul Hamid started the formal discussion with different political parties over the formation of the new EC through BNP on 18 December last year and so far held meetings with 22 political parties.

The President took the dialogue initiative as the tenure of the current Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed expires in February.

risingbd/DHAKA/Jan 11, 2017/Asad/Amirul