The Election Commission is unlikely to defer the municipality polls as demanded by the BNP-led 20-party alliance, the EC secretary said today.

“There is not much possibility of deferring the municipality polls,” EC Secretary Sirazul Islam told The Daily Star this evening.

Earlier in the day, the alliance announced that they will participate in the country’s maiden partisan municipality polls.

But the party placed several demands, including deferral of the polls by 15 days.

During a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office this morning, BNP Spokesperson Asaduzzaman Ripon made the announcement.

Other demands include release of the arrested party leaders and activists and creating a “level playing field”.

The decision came following yesterday’s meeting of 20-party leaders.