EC invites 8 more parties for talks

After BNP's rejection, the Election Commission (EC) has invited eight like-minded parties of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to hold talks.

The commission on Thursday sent semi-official invitation letters to the secretary generals and general secretaries of the parties concerned, said EC Joint Secretary SM Asaduzzaman.

He said those who did not attend the EC's previous dialogue, have been invited again to participate in the discussion.

The invitees are Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BASAD), Bangladesh Muslim League (BML), Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP).

Besides BNP, these parties had previously boycotted the Election Commission's formal dialogue.

Earlier on 23 March, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal sent a semi-official letter to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to sit in informal talks.

The BNP rejected EC's call in a press conference the next day. Mirza Fakhrul, however, thanked the EC for sending out the letter.