Hanif urges BNP to join dialogue on EC formation

Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul-Alam Hanif today called upon Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to join dialogue over the formation of new Election Commission (EC) responding to the call of the president.

"We are requesting BNP to respond to the call of Honourable President and place their opinion taking part in dialogue after stopping making falsehood and creating confusion," he said.

Hanif added: "If you (BNP) give good suggestions, the honourable President can definitely consider those."

The AL leader said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of a two-day event marking the birth centenary of Bangabandhu and golden jubilee of the Liberation War and the country's independence arranged by cultural organisation Banglar Mukh at Jatiya Press Club here.

He said the country's existing democratic process for formation of Election Commission (EC) is the best one and the president is holding dialogues with all political parties abiding by the process.

"Search Committee will be formed as per the opinions and suggestions of the political parties which will recommend names for forming the EC. And EC will be formed through that process," he said, adding that this is a democratic way as well as the best process in forming the EC.

But BNP is making criticism over the process, he said.

Awami League Joint General Secretary questioned BNP that when they were in state power, why they didn't formulate Election Commission Act then.

The nation didn't forget the stigmatised chapter created by the BNP in forming EC, Hanif said.

BNP had formed Aziz-like EC and formulated a voter's list by including 1.20 crore fake voters, he said, adding: "BNP is now making falsehood over election and the EC to hide their evil acts."

Banglar Mukh President Saiful Azam Bashar chaired the function while Bangladesh Shishu Academy Chairman Lucky Enam also spoke on the occasion.