EC to initiate talks with political parties Aug 24

Staff Correspondent: The Election Commission (EC) will begin dialogue with 40 registered political parties from 24 August to know their opinions over the arrangement of the 11th general elections.

A source at the EC has confirmed the matter on Monday.

The talks with political parties will begin in the last week of the current month. Before Eid-ul-Azha, the EC will hold dialogue with six political parties which will be held in two shifts in morning and afternoon, according to the source.

The source further said the talks with the other 34 parties will continue from September 10.

Earlier on Sunday, EC Acting Secretary Muhammad Helaluddin Ahmed briefed reporters in this regard at his Nirbachon Bhaban office in the capital.

In reply to a query, the EC acting secretary said, “The number of representatives of the political parties for participating in talks is still not fixed.”

According to the source, Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) and Bangladesh Sanskritik Muktijot will be invited to join the dialogue on the first day as the EC is going to invite the political parties from the bottom of the registration list.

The EC will hold dialogue with media representatives on August 16 and 17 before holding talks with political parties. Some 60 media personalities including editors of different print, electronic and online media, journalists' leaders were invited to attend the dialogue.

The commission started the continuous dialogue by holing talks with representatives of civil society on July 31 last.

risingbd/Dhaka/Aug 7, 2017/Hasibul/Amirul