Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) vice-chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu on Friday urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to take an initiative for holding a dialogue with all parties on formation of the new Election Commission (EC) and holding the next election.

‘Why should the government be forced for constituting an independent Election Commission? … It should be determined under which nature of government the next election will he held,’ he said.

Dudu, now performing as the BNP spokesman, came up with remarks while speaking at a discussion at the Jatiya Press Club arranged by Jatiyatabadi Bandhu Dal.

‘We want an independent Election Commission to be formed. The formation of the new Commission will demonstrate the government’s attitude towards next election and how much democratic it is,’ he observed.

The BNP leader also said the government can free the nation from the stigma of the ‘farcical election’ held on 2014 by holding the next polls in a free and fair manner by forming a credible EC.

He alleged that the ruling Awami League did not show proper respect for BNP senior leader Hannan Shah who died on Tuesday in Singapore.

‘It’s our expectation that Awami League would show due respect for a revered person (Hannan Shah), but they didn’t,’ Dudu observed.