Three left-leaning political parties today met the Election Commission (EC) and placed 18-point proposal to hold the 11th parliamentary election in a free, fair and credible manner.

Top leaders of Communist Party Bangladesh (CPB), Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD)​ and Bangladesher Biplobi Workers Party (BBWP) -- met the Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda together at his Agargaon office around 11:00 am and submitted the proposal.

After the talks, CPB President Mujahidul Islam Selim told the newsmen that they urged the chief election commissioner not to increase the security deposits for candidates in the next general election.

“We came to know that the Election Commission is planning to increase the security deposit for a candidate in the next general election. We met the chief election commissioner and urged him to stay aside from the move,” Selim who was leading the delegation said.

The left-leaning political party leaders also urged the Election Commission to decrease the security deposit of a candidate to Tk 5,000 from the existing amount Tk 20,000, Selim said.

Based on the recommendation of the filed level election officers across the country, the Election Commission is planning to increase the security deposit of a candidate to Tk 50,000 from the existing Tk 20,000, EC sources said.

The Election Commission can implement the 18-point proposal based on its own jurisdiction without bringing an amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), he added.

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will distribute aerosol sprays among the education institutes in the city area free of cost in a bid to protect the students from mosquito bites and dengue fever.

“We will provide aerosol sprays to all educational institutions in my city area free of cost to fight the menace of mosquito. I hope that we would be able to get rid of the situation immediately,” DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon said today.

However, the DSCC mayor did not make it clear that from when the aerosol spray will be given the educational institutions.

While addressing a view-exchange meeting with teachers and scout leaders of different schools and colleges at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy auditorium in Dhaka, the mayor also called upon all come forward with a collective effort to fight the outbreak of dengue.

Rover Scout members wearing uniform will conduct awareness campaigns visiting every flat in the city area while the councillors will take up matters in their hand lending their effort to make the city free from the mosquito menace, he said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today again called upon the government to undertake an initiative to arrange the 11th parliamentary election under a nonpartisan and neutral administration.

"Release our party chief (Khaleda) and hold talks with her to create an appropriate electoral atmosphere in arranging the next general election under a nonparty neutral government," Fakhrul came up with the call while addressing a programme at the National Press Club in Dhaka this noon.

The BNP leader also urged the government to deploy army in the election to protect the people's voting rights from the harassment of the "gangster loyal to the government."

Referring to newspaper reports that five defence deals signed with India, Fakhrul said the present government is not elected by the people and raised a question over validity in signing the accords with the neighbouring country.

"Who have given you (prime minister) the rights to sign the deals?" Fakhrul asked pointing finger at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

About the Rohingya repatriation deal with Myanmar, Fakhrul said the government has inked a deal to accelerate the Rohingya repatriation process but failed to send them back till the day.

The government has been claiming that Bangladesh's bilateral relationship with India has reached a new height but it failed to ensure the due share of Teesta River water.

"I want to tell the government that the people are the sole owner of the country. Please try to uphold their hopes and aspirations. Otherwise, they will not forgive you (government)," he warned.

Bangabandhu-1 satellite not owned by the government

Fakhrul said the Bangabandhu-1 satellite, which was launched into orbit carrying a red-and-green Bangladesh flag on its side, is no longer owned by the government of Bangladesh.

"Ownership of the satellite has been sold out to two persons and you (people) will have to pay them for its service," Fakhrul said without mentioning any name of the owner.

Fakhrul made the remark when Bangladesh is claiming to set up a milestone with the successful launch of the Bangabandhu-1 satellite by SpaceX at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral at 2:14 am Bangladesh (local time) on Saturday.

Opposition alliance Jatiya Oikyafront yesterday requested the Election Commission not to announce the polls schedule until the dialogues between the ruling and opposition parties are over.

Dr Kamal Hossain, a top leader of the Oikyafront, made the call in a letter to the chief election commissioner, a day before the EC is scheduled to hold a meeting to finalise the polls schedule.

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PM pledges free, fair election

The letter also expressed the Oikyafront's readiness to hold further talks with the government, asking the EC to wait until such time.

In an attempt to secure a second round of talks, the Oikyafront also decided to write again to the prime minister today.

“We will send a letter to the prime minister tomorrow morning [this morning], requesting her to hold a small-scale dialogue with us,” BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said after emerging from a meeting at Kamal's chamber in the capital's Motijheel.

However, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has ruled out the possibility of holding talks with political parties after November 7.

“We would not hold any talks after November 7. It would not be possible to hold dialogues for long as the election schedule will have been announced by then,” Quader told reporters at Dhanmondi 32 yesterday.

As many as 85 political parties wrote to the prime minister seeking time to hold talks about the 11th parliamentary election, he said, adding that it may not be possible to sit with all the parties.

EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed said Oikyafront's letter would be placed at the Commission meeting today.

“We are hopeful about announcing the election schedule within this week. The Election Commission wants to hold the election by December,” he told reporters after a meeting on polls preparation at the Nirbachon Bhaban.

CEC KM Nurul Huda, the four other election commissioners and high officials of the EC were present at the meeting.

The ongoing talks with political parties began after Kamal, also president of the Gonoforum, wrote to the PM for holding a dialogue, to which the PM responded positively. Later, other political parties began requesting the PM to sit with them as well. 

So far, the 14-party ruling alliance sat with the Oikyafront, which includes the BNP and several other parties; and the Juktafront, led by former president Prof AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury. 

The ruling alliance leaders will sit for talks among themselves at the Gono Bhaban tonight, while they will hold talks with the Jatiya Party tomorrow at the same venue.

The 14-party will also sit with Islamist and leftist parties, Quader said.

After the much-hyped dialogue with the Oikyafront on November 1, Quader had assured the opposition alliance of holding further talks to find a solution to the political crisis over the upcoming national election.

At the talks, the Oikyafront had placed a seven-point demand, including formation of a polls-time government, dissolution of parliament before the announcement of the election schedule, reconstitution of the Election Commission and deployment of army during election with magistracy power. 

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Oikyafront open to further talks

Although the talks were held in a congenial atmosphere, the PM gave no assurance that the government would meet Oikyafront's demands except for the one for holding rallies without police obstruction.

Asked about BNP's dissatisfaction at the outcome, Quader yesterday said, “It is not possible to make everyone happy. The BNP may have expressed dissatisfaction, but the leader of their alliance [Dr Kamal] has termed it fruitful.”

Meanwhile, Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna blasted the government for its decision to hold talks with the components of the 14-party.

“They are your advisers. You talk to them daily. They are the opposition leaders. You meet them at parliament and talk with them outside parliament. Then why do you need to hold dialogues with them?” said Manna, also a leader of the Oikyafront.

In another development, Mirza Fakhrul has been made spokesperson of the Oikyafront while Gonoforum General Secretary Mustafa Mohsin Montu its coordinator.

LETTER TO CEC

Rafiqul Islam Pathik, Gonoforum training affairs secretary, handed the letter to an EC official at the Commission around 4:45pm.

The CEC and other election commissioners were holding a closed-door meeting at the time.

In the letter, Kamal Hossain mentioned Obaidul Quader's remarks that the PM would consider sitting with the Oikyafront again after November 8.

“The Jatiya Oikyafront is willing to sit for talks with the honourable prime minister again.”

It added: “You [EC] are aware of the dialogue with the prime minister…. Under the circumstances, we think it is better for you not to make the decision about the announcement of the election schedule until the ongoing political process, especially the talks with the prime minister, is over.”

The eminent jurist also noted that political parties and candidates were key stakeholders in any election and that it was a fundamental responsibility of the EC to take their activities into consideration.

“We firmly believe that the trust of the political parties and the people on the Election Commission will increase if the Election Commission waits a little more before announcing the election schedule,” it added.