The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The leaders of the Awami League (AL) urged the Election Commission (EC) to hold the parliamentary election ahead of all other polls, to withdraw state of emergency and to ensure unconditional release of party chief Sheikh Hasina.

The AL leaders placed these demands during the two-hour long dialogue with the EC, which started at 2:00pm and ended at 4:00pm on Tuesday, the last day of the third-round of electoral dialogue.

Acting President of AL Zillur Rahman, coming out from the dialogue, told reporters that the dialogue was fruitful. The party had demanded the release of Sheikh Hasina and total lifting of the state of emergency ahead of the national elections.

He also pointed out that the upazila election could not be held before the national election.

Ashraful Islam, Acting General Secretary of AL, said: "We have reached consensus on some vital issues. But we cannot disclose these just now because of some technical problems."

"We have clarified the party's stand to the EC. Let's see how the commission responds to our demands. We will deliver our statement after the commission delivers its own," he said.

Asked whether the dialogue would bear fruit without the BNP-led four-party alliance, Ashraf said: "We hope the alliance will join the dialogue for the sake of the country and countrymen."

AL presidium member Tofail Ahmed said: "We want an election under a congenial atmosphere, in which all the political parties can participate. We have told the commission this today (Tuesday)."

Asked to explain the party's view on the issue of the war criminals, he said: "The war criminals should be banned from joining the elections. The commission maintains similar views."

About registration of political parties with the EC Tofail said: "According to the electoral roadmap the last date for registration was June 30. That deadline has crossed. We don't have any opposition to registration. But we want relaxation of some rules. We hope the commission will take pragmatic steps within a short time, which must include withdrawal of emergency," he said. AL leaders also said they had placed a number of demands to the EC, including holding no other elections before the national elections, announcing the elections schedule and withdrawal of the state of emergency immediately.

Beside this, AL leaders also demanded easing a number of conditions for registration of political parties, which include banning foreign branches and front organisations of a political party as well as striking out of the provision for 'no' votes and allowing teachers of the educational institutions under MPO to contest elections.

Asked what was the EC's response about the party's demands, Ashraful said: "We will inform you later."

A seven-member delegation of AL led by Zillur Rahman joined the dialogue included Syed Ashraful Islam, Abdur Razzak, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta, Matia Chowdhury and Amir Hossain Amu.

Earlier in the day, the EC held talks with Krishak Sramik Janata League (KSJL), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Jiku) and National Awami Party (Mozaffar).

Habibur Rahman Talukdar, President of KSJL, urged the Election Commission not to allow Jamaat-e-Islami to be registered with the EC, as it palyed controversial role during the liberation war of the country.

"The KSJL placed demand for immediate withdrawal of state of emergency and holding of the national election as early as possible," he told reporters coming out from the meeting.

"We believe that holding of the Upazila polls first may disrupt the national elections," he added.

A five-member delegation of KSJL joined the dialogue at 10:30am.

After that the JSD (Ziku) delegation arrived at 11:45am at the EC Secretariat to join the dialogue led by Md Shafique, executive president of the party including three other members.

Emerging from the meeting at 12:45pm, Abdul Malek Ratan, General Secretary of the party, said, "The EC informed us that it will announce the schedules for both Upazila and national election within the next three or four days."

Ratan also added that according to the EC, the number of upazilas where polls might be held would reduce because a vast area of the country had been inundated by flood.

The leaders of the JSD (Ziku) opined that they had no objection to holding of the Upazila polls before the general elections and arranging the polls under the state of emergency.

Subsequently The EC held meeting with NAP (Mozaffar) from 12:45 pm to 2:00pm.

The NAP (Mozaffar) delegation led by party's general secretary Enamul Haque including Amena Ahmed, MA Ghani, Abdul Wahab and Ismail Hossain.

In total the EC invited 16 political parties to the third round of dialogue that began on Saturday.

Parties that have attended the EC dialogue include Workers Party of Bangladesh, Samyabadi Dal, Jatiya Party (Ershad), Communist Party of Bangladesh, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal(Inu), Liberal Democratic Party and Jatiya Party(JP).

The BNP led four party alliance did not attend the dialogue sessions.

The commission held the first round of the dialogues in September last year and second round of dialogue in February this year.

Election commissioner M Sakhawat Hussain said: "We will deliver speech corresponding to the views of the political parties."

The EC will be brief in detail today about the outcome of the third round of dialogue.