United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam, National Citizen Party (NCP) and other political parties joined the Election Commission’s dialogue on Wednesday morning (November 19) as part of its ongoing dialogue ahead of the next general election to be held in February 2026. The discussion began at 10:40am in the city's Nirbachan Bhaban with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin in the chair. The Jamaat delegation led by its Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar participated in the talks while the NCP team led by its Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwary attended it. The other invited political parties for the morning session are Ganosamhati Andolan, Nationalist Democratic Movement-NDM, Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Minority Janata Party-BMJP and Insaniat Biplab Bangladesh. The Commission is holding two discussions on Wednesday – the morning session with seven parties and the afternoon session with six other political parties including BNP. Read more: Pre-election Dialogue: EC set to welcome Big Three parties on Wednesday The other invitees for the afternoon session include Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP (Andaleev), Gonaodhikar Parishad, Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesh Republican Party-BRP and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal-Basad Marxist.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin on Thursday (13th November 2025) said the Election Commission wants to act as a true referee in the upcoming national election, emphasising the need for cooperation from all political parties.  "You (political parties) will play in the elections. You are the players. We really want to be in the role of referees. Without your cooperation, it is difficult to play the role of referees and hold fair elections," he said. The CEC made the remarks while addressing the Commission’s views-exchange with six political parties, held on Thursday morning as part of the ongoing electoral dialogue with registered parties ahead of the 13th parliamentary election, likely to be held in early February 2026. Nasir Uddin said cooperation from political parties is essential to ensure a free, fair, and credible election. “If we do not get cooperation from the main players (political parties), the election will inevitably become questionable,” he said. He said all 54 registered political parties are equal to the Election Commission, regardless of their size or influence. “Every registered party—big or small—is equal to us,” he said.  EC’s pre-election dialogue starts with 6 parties in opening batch  “We need thoughtful suggestions and opinions from all of you on what can be done before, during, and after the election,” said the CEC. Referring to the recent surge of posters in Dhaka city, he said, “The city is flooded with posters, though the use of posters has already been declared illegal.  “These (posters) must be removed. Those who put them up should take them down. We will be strict. We will not spare anyone; we will blindly jump over these violations. Once the election schedule is announced, we will take immediate action,” he said. On the issue of a possible referendum on July National Charter 2025, the CEC said the Commission has not yet received any official communication regarding it. “There has been much discussion about a referendum, but we have not been officially informed,” he said.  “Even under this special circumstance, where the election will be held under a special arrangement, many additional responsibilities are falling on our shoulders,” said Nasir Uddin. Bangladesh Election: Electoral dialogue with political parties to begin Thursday The Commission invited 12 registered political parties to attend two sessions on the opening day— six parties in the morning session and six others in the afternoon session. The six invitees for the morning session are Liberal Democratic Party-LDP, Bangladesh Congress, Bangladesh Muslim League, National People's Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan and Jamiyate Ulamaye Islam Bangladesh. The six parties invited for the afternoon session are Communist Party of Bangladesh-CPB, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal-Basod, Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Nationalist Front-BNF and Bangladesh Nationalist Movement-BNM. The Commission aims to complete the dialogue with all registered political parties within this month before the announcement of the national election schedule in early December. In late September 2025, the Commission opened a series of electoral dialogues with different stakeholders amid talks with civil society representatives on September 28. Later, the EC held separate dialogues with the representatives of teachers, senior journalists from different media outlets, election experts and election observers. Read more: CEC seeks media support for fair election environment in Bangladesh

Moving into the election mode, the Election Commission will start a series of dialogues with registered political parties this week to lay the groundwork for the upcoming national election scheduled for February. But the political parties would be invited in groups to join the discussions due to time constraints before the election schedule to be announced in early December, according to EC officials They said the dialogues, considered the Commission’s last major task before the election schedule, will take around two weeks to complete ahead of the 13th parliamentary election. “The dialogues with political parties will begin next week. It will have to invite them in groups due to time constraints (before the announcement of election schedule),” said EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Thursday (6th November 2025). Replying to a question, he told UNB that it will not be possible to complete the dialogues within a week rather it would take two weeks. EC registers 66 local election observer organisations, identifies 16 more eligible As part of preparations for the dialogues with political parties, the Commission has already made changes to the electoral code of conduct in line with an ordinance promulgated on November 3, bringing further amendment to the Representation of the People Order, 1972. The Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates in Parliamentary Elections Rules 2025 will soon be published in the official gazette, with the code expected to be one of the key discussion issues during the dialogues. “We have sent the code of conduct (to publish it in the official gazette). So, the dialogue will be opened next week,” said the EC Secretary. The Election Commission traditionally holds talks with registered political parties before each national election. Each party was usually invited to join the dialogue separately. However, this time it is still uncertain whether the Jatiya Party and some other registered parties, known as the allies of Sheikh Hasina's regime toppled through the 2014 mass uprising, will be invited to the talks. Currently, there are 53 registered political parties, excluding the Awami League, whose registration remains suspended. Besides, the EC on Tuesday last published notifications seeking objections, if any, against the registration to three new political parties –National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist). The Commission will finally recognise them as the registered parties after November 12. Jamaat now wants referendum any day before election: Azad In late September 2025, the Commission opened a series of electoral dialogues with different stakeholders amid talks with civil society representatives on September 28. Then the EC sat in another discussion with the representatives of teachers on the same day. On October 06, the Commission held two separate dialogues with senior journalists from different media outlets. Besides, the EC held dialogues with election experts and election observers in October last. In a bid to conduct the next election in free, participatory and fair manners, the EC sat in a views-exchange with different law enforcement agencies and intelligences on October 20 and with top government officials, including secretaries of key ministries, directors general of important agencies on October 30 last. According to the electoral roadmap unveiled in August 2025, dialogues with stakeholders, including political parties, civil society members, journalists, observers, and election experts, were scheduled to begin in late September and conclude within about one and a half months. The Commission either completed or almost finished all important tasks, including amendment to the electoral laws,delimitation of constituencies, updating the voter lists, finalisation of polling stations, registration of new political parties and registration of election observers. The EC has already amended different electoral laws including RPO; as well as revised the three separate guidelines for journalists, observers and installation of polling stations:  The Commission on September 04 last finalised the delimitation of 300 constituencies, redrawing the boundaries of 46 parliamentary seats in 16 different districts across the country ahead of the 2026 February election. Over 48,000 police officers complete election training: Police HQ The EC on October 27 released the final list of 42,761 polling stations throughout the country for the upcoming national election, raising the number by around 611 from what was in the 2024 national election. The Commission on November 02 released the draft updated electoral rolls with more than 12.76 core voters in the country, which would be the final voter lists for the 2026 February election. The electoral rolls would be finalised on November 18. The Commission on Thursday last registered 66 organisations as local election observers as well as identified 16 more firms as eligible for registration as local election observers. The final decision over the 16 organisations will be taken following settlement of objections if any to be received by November 27 next. The EC will launch a mobile app for the expatriates and others to register first to vote through the postal ballot during the 2026 election. So, the upcoming dialogues with political parties will mark the Commission’s final major engagement before announcing the election schedule next month. Read more: No application for voter relocation to be accepted after Nov 10