Dhaka: The Election Commission’s (EC’s) dialogue with media persons began at 10:15am on Wednesday, aiming to take their opinions over the arrangement of the 11^th national election.

Out of 37 invitees for the first day, 25 media persons, including newspaper editors, journalist leaders and columnists, joined the talks with Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda in the chair at the EC’s Nirbachon Bhaban conference room.

Among the participants, News Today editor Reazuddin Ahmed, New Age editor Nurul Kabir, Kaler Kantho executive Mostafa Kamal, Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, Bangladesh Pratidin editor Naem Nizam, Amader Orthoneeti editor Nayeemul Islam Khan, Jugantor acting editor Saiful Alam, Bhorer Kagoj editor Shyamol Dutta, Daily Manobkantha acting editor Anis Alamgir, Jatiya Press Club president Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman and its general secretary Farida Yasmin, President of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul and its general secretary Omar Faruk, General secretary of another faction of BFUJ Mohammad Abdullah, journalists Mahfuzullah, Anisul Hoque, Kazi Siraj and Amanullah Kabir, columnists Sohrab Hasan, Mahbub Kamal and Bibhurangan Sarkar, Ittefaq managing editor Ashish Saikat, Jaijaidin Editor Kazi Rokunuddin Ahmad and Shaptahik editor Golam Mortuza.

Four election commissioners Mahbub Talukdar, Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam and Brig Gen (retd) Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, and EC acting secretary Helaluddin Ahmed are present at the dialogue.

In the second phase of its dialogue, the Election Commission will also sit in talks with electronic and online media persons on Thursday. The EC invited 34 electronic and online media persons on the second day.

The Commission will seek opinions from the media persons over different issues, including electoral law reform and delimitation of constituencies, updating voter list, fixation of polling stations and awarding registration to new political parties.

On July 31 last, the EC started its dialogue with talks with civil society members. Out of 59 invitees, 33 joined the dialogue.

The major suggestions came from the civil society members include earning people’s trust through making EC’s activities visible as an independent body, defining armed forces as law enforcers for engaging them in the national election and restoration of ‘No Vote’ provision.

As part of the EC’s roadmap prepared for the next general election, the EC will also sit in talks with 40 registered political parties, election observers, women leaders and election experts.

The dialogue with political parties will start in the last week of the current month. The Commission will sit with six political parties, two parties each day, before Eid-ul-Azha.

The next national election is likely to be held in late December 20.