The Election Commission will invite 59 civil society members to join the talk on election on July 31.

The talk will be held at 11:00am instead of the previously scheduled 3.00pm at the EC Secretariat.

“We will begin sending the invitations to 59 civil society members from tomorrow,” EC Secretary Muhammad Abdullah told The Daily Star.

Former advisers to caretaker governments, educationists, social activists and renowned persons were chosen, Abdullah said.

It will be an open discussion, where the invitees will talk on any issue relating to election, he said, adding that there was no specific agenda.

Election manual for parliamentary polls, schedules of the previous national elections and EC's roadmap agenda would be given to invitees along with the invitation letters, he said.

The EC unveiled a year-long roadmap for the next parliamentary election a few days ago.

The agenda of the roadmap are talks with political parties and other stakeholders, reforming the electoral law, demarcation of constituencies, updating voter lists, preparing a list of possible polling stations, taking application from new political parties willing to be registered with the EC, and building the capacity of officials to hold national election.

The Awami League termed the roadmap realistic while the BNP alleged that the commission and the government is hatching conspiracy to hold one-sided election.

As per the roadmap, the EC will also hold talks with journalists in August and with 40 registered political parties from August to September.

Besides, the EC will hold separate dialogues with election observers, women leaders and election management experts in October.