Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Monday received a letter from Bangabhaban inviting it to hold a dialogue with President Abdul Hamid on constitution of the new Election Commission.

BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi received the letter, signed by President’s office secretary Shampad Barua, at about 2:25pm.

The letter, addressed to BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, has requested the party to meet the President at 4:30pm at Bangabhaban on December 18 for holding talks. 

It also asked the party to send the names of a 10-member BNP delegation to Bangabhaban for the talks.

"As per Article 118 of the constitution, the Honorable President has been empowered to appoint the chief election commissioner and not more than four election commissioners. As the tenure of the present election commission expires soon, the Honorable President has expressed interest to take opinions of the political parties to form the election commission," reads the letter.

Talking to news agency UNB after receiving the letter, Rizvi said, “I’ve received the letter sent through a Bangabhaban messenger. We think it’s the first step of the President towards forming the Election Commission.”

Contacted, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “We sent a letter to the President to discuss our proposal on Election Commission formation. We thank him as he responded to our letter.”

He said they will discuss with the President on the basis of their chairperson’s proposal on constituting a stronger and neutral Commission.

The BNP leader said they in consultation with their party chairperson will finalise the names of 10 BNP leaders for the dialogue.
Fakhrul said they will also propose the names of search committee members during the talks with President. He, however, said they are yet to finalise the names. 

A BNP leader close to Khaleda said the party will propose the names of four retired judges to include them in the search committee. 

On December 6, BNP submitted its chairperson Khaleda Zia’s 13-point proposal on constituting a stronger Election Commission (EC) to Bangabhaban for President Abdul Hamid’s consideration.

On November 18, Khaleda Zia placed a 13-point proposal for forming the new EC and called for re-constituting 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.

Earlier in the day, President's press secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB that the President will start dialogue on the formation of the new EC from December 18. “The first meeting will be held with BNP at 4.30 pm on the day at Bangabhaban”

He also said the President will hold meetings with Jatiya Party on December 20, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Krishak Sramik Janata League on December 21 and Jatiya Samajtantrik Party-Inu on December 22.

The President will hold meetings with other registered political parties in phases, Joynal said. 

Shahdat Hossain Selim, joint general secretary of LDP, a component of the BNP-led 20-prty alliance, said they also received a letter from Bangabhaban to meet the President on December 21 for talks.

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