Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin has said the Election Commission (EC) is committed to ensuring a level playing field for all political parties in the forthcoming 13th national parliamentary election.

He made the remarks on Sunday (16 Nov) while delivering his opening statement on the second day of the EC’s dialogue with political parties.

Calling for strict adherence to the electoral code of conduct, the CEC said, “We will soon be facing the election. To make the upcoming polls acceptable and transparent, cooperation from all stakeholders is essential. The Commission intends to ensure a level playing field for everyone.”

The EC invited 12 political parties for two rounds of talks, held in the morning and afternoon. In the morning session, representatives from Gono Forum, Gonofront, Islami Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP) and Bangladesh National Party took part.

The session witnessed, however, an early disruption when two factions of Islami Oikya Jote appeared claiming party representation. After reviewing the EC’s invitation letter, the Commission’s secretary asked the alternate group to leave the dialogue.

Speaking during the session, Subrata Chowdhury, acting president of Gono Forum, urged authorities to ensure that the planned referendum does not become “a subject of mockery” and stressed that the EC must remain alert.

Representatives of several parties said they do not want to see another controversial election, as witnessed in the past. They also expressed concern over the recent court interventions regarding the EC’s decision on constituency boundary demarcation, stating that such interference is undesirable.

At present, 53 political parties, including BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, are registered with the Election Commission.