President finally invites BNP for talks over EC formation

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Wednesday was officially invited to talks with President Abdul Hamid over the formation of the Election Commission (EC) on 12 January. 

Earlier, the BNP had said that it would boycott the talks as the crisis was not over the formation of an EC, but rather over a polls-time government. 

"The 12th national election will be pointless if it is held under the ruling Awami League. There must be a polls-time interim government, which will constitute an EC to conduct the national election," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had told journalists at the time.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Islamic Front, during talks with President Abdul Hamid, demanded the formation of an independent and neutral EC by amending the existing constitutional provisions for a permanent solution to the issue.

The party also proposed five members to form the EC, including former chief secretary Syed Muhammad Abdul Karim, Major General (Retd) Harunur Rashid Bir Bikram, Dhaka University Professor Abdullah Al Maruf and Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Moinuddin Ashrafi.

Afterwards, the party's Secretary General MA Matin told reporters that polls under an unelected caretaker government or an interim government was not a permanent solution for free, fair and impartial elections, adding that the government had failed in this regard.

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, who also held the talks on Wednesday, made six proposals, including forming an independent election commission by enacting laws and forming the EC with experienced people.

Leaving Bangabhaban, the party's General Secretary Manjurul Islam Afendi said, "I have demanded that the Election Commission be given the power to deploy the army if necessary in every national election."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Liberal Democratic Party decided not to attend the talks, terming it a "mere tea party".