Dhaka: Though they know his constitutional limitation, BNP leaders said they are going to meet President Abdul Hamid on Sunday with a high hope that he will come up with sincere efforts to present the nation a neutral election commission and take steps for a political reconciliation which will pave the path for a fair national election.

Party chairperson Khaleda Zia will lead a 13-member BNP delegation at the talks with the President at Bangabhaban at 4:30pm.

The BNP delegation will include Khaleda Zia, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mahbubur Rahman, Tariqul Islam, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Senior BNP leaders said they have made a draft of their proposals on the basis of their chairperson’s 13-point one to discuss with the President during the dialogue.

They, however, said the proposals were supposed to be finalised on Saturday night at a meeting between Khaleda and party senior leaders.

The leaders said party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam will first talk at the meeting with President in favour of the party.  Later, he will present a written speech of their chairperson to Abdul Hamid.

In the written speech, Khaleda is likely to mention the reasons for boycotting the January-5 election in 2014 and about the country’s current ‘political crisis’ and its possible solutions.

She is also likely to urge the President to take a step for political negotiation as the guardian of the country to ensure a fair and acceptable national election.

Khaleda will also give necessary explanation about her proposal for forming a neutral and stronger EC.

Contacted, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said they will mainly focus on forming a neutral search committee and EC. “We’ll talk in the light of our chairperson’s 13-point proposal that she has unveiled on November 18.”

He also said their chairperson will decide whether she will give any name for the search committee. “The country’s future politics will depend on the dialogue and search committee to be formed after it.  The search committee can be formed with neutral persons if only the government wants.”

A leader close to Khaleda said BNP has made the list of some acceptable persons to propose the President to include them in the search committee. It has also made another list of possible Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners.

He said if the BNP delegation finds the President in good mood and if he seeks from them the names for the search committee and the CEC and other commissioners, Khaleda will present the lists to him.

The BNP leader said they are likely to propose the names of three ex-retired justices, a former diplomat, an ex-VC and a distinguish woman educationist for considering them in the search committee.

BNP insiders said they expect the President to consider at least two names from their list while forming the search committee.

They said they are considering the search committee as a test case as it will expose the President’s attitude towards the next EC and the government’s position on the next election.

The BNP chairperson is also likely to call upon the President to hold another dialogue over forming an election-time government to help the Election Commission hold a fair and acceptable national election.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said they will hold the talks to give the President their proposals for considering in forming the search committee and the EC.

“We’re going to the President with an open mind and big hope that he’ ll make his sincere efforts to make the dialogue a success and form a neutral and acceptable EC. We hope he won’t disappoint us. We also urge the government to help the President constitute a trustworthy EC.”

He, however, said they government’s plan about the next polls will be clear after the formation of the search committee. “The President’s initiative for talks is a positive step. But, if the search committee is formed as per the government’s desire, the dialogue will turn a futile exercise.”

Another party standing committee member, Mahbubur Rahman, echoed Mosharraf and hoped that Abdul Hamid will play a strong role in forming an acceptable EC based on suggestions from political parties after the talks.

He also said they may also talk about the election-time government during the talks as a fair election will not be possible under a partisan administration.

The BNP chief will start her journey around 3pm from her Gulshan residence for her party’s Nayapaltan central office where other delegation members will be there, her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB.

Later, they all, led by Khaleda, will go to Bangabhaban for the dialogue with the President.