EC to start electoral dialogue from tomorrow

The Election Commission (EC) will begin dialogue with political parties and other stakeholders from July 31 to seek opinions in holding the 11th Jatiya Sangsad elections.

"The roadmap for the next polls was finalised . . . As part of the dialogue, the election commission will sit with 59 civil society members at 11:00 am tomorrow," SM Asaduzzaman, director public relation of the EC, told BSS today.

He said the discussion will be held as per the EC's roadmap where the amendments to the electoral laws and delimitation of the electoral constituencies, finalising of flawless voters' list, fixation of voting centers and registration of new political parties would prominently figure the discussion.

Asaduzzaman said 59 representatives of civil society were invited for the talks.

The invited representatives include: former advisers to the Caretaker Government Dr Akbar Ali Khan, M Hafiz Uddin Khan, Advocate Sultana Kamal, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, Dr Wahid Uddin Mahmud, Begum Rasheda K Chowdhury, Mirza Azizul Islam, Begum Rokeya A Rahman and Dr Hossain Zilliur Rahman, Justice Ghulam Rabbani, former Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr Forash Uddin, Barrister Rafiqul Haque, Dr Shahdin Malik, former cabinet secretary Ali Imam Majumder, former secretary Sa'dat Hossain, fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr Debiopriya Bhatcharya, Major General (retd) SM Shamsul Arefin, Prof Nazrul Islam, Dr Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, Prof Dr Ajoy Ray, Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, Prof Syed Anower Hossain, Prof Abul Barakat,Chairman of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Rahat Khan,columnist Syed Abul Maksud, Senior Journalist Mizanur Rahman Khan of Prothom Alo and executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh Dr Iftekharuzzaman.

He said the EC will also hold dialogue with the political parties, stakeholders, media personnel, observer organizations and former election commissioners to get opinions with regards to the upcoming general polls.