Dhaka: President Abdul Hamid will hold dialogue with all registered political parties to reconstitute the Election Commission (EC).

‘As per article 118 of the constitution, the honourable President will hold dialogue with registered political parties before appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and commissioners. The dialogue will begin after 16 December,’ said President’s press secretary Joynal Abedin on Tuesday morning.

However, a source at Bangabhaban said the dialogue will begin on 18 December with BNP.

There are 40 registered political parties now in the country.

In 2012, then President Zillur Rahman appointed the present CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad to lead the five-member EC through a search committee after holding meetings with political parties.

The tenure of current EC expires in February next. The new EC will conduct the next general election scheduled to be held in 2019.

On 18 November, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia placed a 13-point proposal for forming the new EC and called for reconstituting the EC in consultation with representatives of all registered political parties or with representatives of all political parties who over different periods had representation in the national parliament.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a press conference on 3 December said, ‘She [Khaleda] has made her proposal; now she can tell the President about it, and he’ll make the decision, we’ve nothing to say. According to the rules, the President will consider their proposal.’