The Election Commission (EC) has allocated a total of 42 hours for 39 registered political parties for dialogue scheduled to begin from July 17 ahead of the next 12th general election.
These dialogues with all the 39 political parties registered with the EC will be held in phases, said EC officials.
According to the EC officials, only three bigger political parties—ruling Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party (Ershad)—each will be given two hours for the dialogue and the rest 36 parties will get one hour each.
Ashok Kumer Devnath, an Additional Secretary to the EC, said that the EC would start sending invitation letters to the political parties from today (Thursday) for taking part in the dialogue.
“As per the EC’s decision, highest four political parties will be invited everyday from the dialogue. But, only two parties will be invited on that day when Awami League will be invited for the dialogue”, he said.
He, however, said, three parties will be invited on that day when BNP will be invited for the dialogue.
Asked, the EC official said that highest 10 representatives from a party will be allowed to take part in the dialogue.
As per the EC’s schedule, on the first day of the dialogue, four parties--Jatiyatabadi Ganotantrik Andolan (NDM), Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), Bangladesh Congress and Bangladesh Muslim League—would be invited.
Accordingly, four other parties—Bangladesh Islami Front, Bangladesh Sanskritik Mukti Jote, Khelafat Mazlish and Bangladeshes Biplobi Workers Party—would be invited for the dialogue on July 18.
On the third day, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Islami Oikyajote, Bangladesh Khelafat Mazlish and Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal-ML will be invited on July 19.
On the fourth Day, Ganotantri Party, Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP) and Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Dal (BN) will be invited for the dialogue on July 20.
On the fifth day, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Gano Front will be invited for the dialogue on July 21.
On the sixth day, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan, Jatiya Party (JP), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Islami Front will be invited for the dialogue on July 24.
On the seventh day, Bangladesh Muslim League, Bangladesher Workers Party, Bangladesher Somajtantrik Dal-BSD and Liberal Democratic Party-LDP will be invited for the dialogue on July 25.
Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islami Dal-Bangladesh, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and National Peoples Party will be invited for the dialogue on July 26.
Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Zaker Party and Krishok-Shramik-Janata League will be called on July 27. Gano Forum, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh Nap and Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) will be called for the dialogue on July 28.
Besides, ruling Bangladesh Awami League and opposition Jatiya Party will be called for the dialogue on July 31.
Immediate after the new EC body was formed, the officials of the EC earlier held several talks with the political parties, personnel from the civil society, academicians and election observers.
But, BNP and some other parties did not respond to the call of the EC.
