Election Commission invites opposition BNP to talks again ahead of parliamentary polls

The opposition party has so far refused to sit with the current EC for a dialogue

The Election Commission has invited the BNP to a fresh dialogue ahead of the next parliamentary polls as the opposition party has been refusing to sit with the current EC for talks. 

EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam said they sent a letter to the party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday.

Jahangir declined to reveal the content of the letter, but Election Commissioner Ahsan Habib Khan said the BNP and other political parties that did not participate in talks with the current EC have been invited again.

The Kazi Habibul Awal-led EC held several rounds of dialogue with the political parties since it took charge in early 2022.

The BNP and its allies did not join the dialogue, reiterating their demand for the resignation of the Awami League government and the installation of an election-time caretaker administration.

CEC Awal had said they did not have the authority to decide about an election-time government and would continue calling for talks with the BNP and its allies.

The ruling party said the polls would be held under the Awami League government as the constitution does not allow an un-elected administration in power.