Bangladesh: Election Commission opens dialogue with Bangladesh parties from today | Financial Express

The Election Commission (EC) starts dialogue with the registered political parties from today (Tuesday) to collect their views to make the election laws time befitting, reports UNB.

During the dialogue with the political parties, the commission will discuss various issues including delimitation of constituencies, state funding for political parties and constitution process of the commission, use of electronic voting machine (EVM) and also amendment to the Representation of People’s Order (RPO).

Bangladesh: Opposition strike over change in electoral system grips Bangladesh | Individual.com

Steel helmeted riot police patrolled the streets of the capital today as a dusk-to-dawn general strike called by opposition groups to protest the government’s decision to change electoral system paralysed Bangladesh.

The strike was called after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party announced plans last week to scrap the country’s electoral system under which a caretaker government takes over during election time.

Bangladesh: Prime Minister asks: Hartal [Strike] against Bangladesh government or court? | The Daily Star

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday castigated the main opposition BNP for calling a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on Sunday on the caretaker government issue.

“Has BNP called for the hartal against the government or the court that declared the caretaker government system illegal?” she questioned when a delegation of Nitol-Niloy and IPSSL groups called on her at her office in the afternoon.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh opposition calls strike, seeks to keep caretaker system | M&C

The opposition Wednesday called a daylong general strike at the weekend to protest the government’s scrapping of Bangladesh’s system of holding elections under neutral caretaker administrations in a country prone to polling violence. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir – acting secretary general of the Nationalist Party, which leads an opposition alliance – announced the nationwide strike for Sunday, saying the party had resolved to go all-out against the government plan.

The central standing committee of the Nationalist Party said earlier that the party would not join elections unless there is a caretaker government system for holding free and fair polls. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, a Nationalist Party ally, also called a strike Sunday.

Bangladesh: BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have called a daylong countrywide general strike on Sunday | bdnews24.com

The main opposition BNP and its ally Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami have called a daylong countrywide general strike on Sunday to protest the government move to discard the caretaker government provision for the next general elections in line with a court order.

BNP acting secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the dawn-to-dusk shutdown at a press conference at party’s Naya Paltan-based headquarters on Wednesday.

Bangladesh: Parties asked to find solution – Former Bangladesh caretaker government advisers warn of instability | The Daily Star

Former advisers to different caretaker governments have urged political parties not to create instability in the country centring the interim rule and suggested that they find a solution on the basis of mutual understanding.

Disputes among the political parties over holding the next general elections might lead to another political unrest, threatening continuation of democracy and public safety, they fear.

Bangladesh: Moudud Ahmed says BNP to boycott e-voting in Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

A [Bangladesh Nationalist Party] BNP policymaker has said they will not take part in elections if the government introduces e-voting, as it will be ‘a tool of vote rigging’.

“We won’t accept e-voting and take part in elections. Elections must be held under the existing voting system,” Moudud Ahmed said at a human chain programme at the South Plaza of the parliament building on Saturday morning.

Bangladesh: Election Commission set to introduce electronic polling in Bangladesh over BNP opposition | Gulf Times

The Election Commission (EC) is set to introduce electronic voting machines (EVM) in the coming general elections to stop malpractices during polling but the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has already rejected the plan. Despite BNP’s rejection, the Election Commission will start a series of dialogues with registered political…

Bangladesh: Election Commission going for fresh dialogue – will discus introduction of electronic voting to Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

The Election Commission is going to sit with registered political parties once again to discuss changes to the rules on the commissioner’s appointment and to the electoral laws. The commission plans to kick off the dialogue from June 7, election commissioner M Sakhawat Hossain told bdnews24.com on Tuesday. Reforms to the law on delimitation of electoral…

Bangladesh: Tk 1,200cr needed for e-voting in Bangladesh | The Daily Star

The Election Commission Secretariat estimates that Tk 1,200 crore will be required to hold the next parliamentary elections under electronic voting system. EC Secretary Muhammad Sadiq yesterday said this at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec). Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina presiding over the meeting said the government will introduce…