The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda yesterday said the Election Commission asked the Awami league to determine topics of the intended dialogue with the commission.

"We've received their (AL) letter and we've replied asking for details on topics of the discussion," Dr Huda told reporters at EC Secretariat in the afternoon.

On Tuesday in a letter to the CEC, the AL said it wants to know about the EC's stance over holding the upazila polls and announcement of the parliamentary polls schedule.

Replying to a question, Dr Huda said anybody could sit in dialogue with the commission and "the door is open for all". The time of sitting with the AL was not fixed yet, he said.

Asked, the CEC said the elections would be held in 300-350 upazilas, but nothing was finalised till today.

"The Commission will fix the number of upazilas for polls in a meeting after making necessary rules," he said.

On Tuesday the AL sought appointments with the Chief Adviser and the Chief Election Commissioner for immediate talks on parliamentary elections and upazila polls.

They gave hints that if the government and the EC stick to their position to hold upazila polls before the parliamentary ones, they would propose holding polls to only 50-60 upazilas instead of 300 out of 482.