Election Commission Initiates Dialogue with Political Parties Ahead of 2026 Parliamentary Elections
The Election Commission (EC) has announced plans to convene a series of dialogues with all 56 registered political parties, including the Jatiya Party and three newly registered parties. These discussions are set to begin on November 13 and will continue until November 20, serving as the Commission’s final major task before announcing the schedule for the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, expected to take place in early February 2026.
The nine sessions of the electoral dialogue will be held over several days, with two sessions each day from November 13 to November 19. The first session will run from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, followed by a second session from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The final session is scheduled for November 20.
Invitations and Schedules
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will be invited for the morning session on November 20, while the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the newly registered National Citizen Party (NCP) will attend the afternoon session on November 19. The Jatiya Party is scheduled for the November 17 session. Other parties will be invited on specific dates, with detailed schedules outlining their participation.
Currently, there are 53 registered political parties, excluding the Awami League, whose registration remains suspended. Three new parties were initially recognized on November 4, and notifications were published seeking objections by November 12. The EC is expected to issue registration certificates soon, bringing the total number of registered parties to 56.
Key Participants and Discussion Topics
Several political parties have been scheduled for different sessions throughout the week. On November 13, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Krishak Sramik Janata League, Bangladesh Muslim League, National Peoples Party, Gonoforum, and Gano Front will participate in the morning session. In the afternoon, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (Basod), Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, and Bangladesh National Awami League Party (Bangladesh Nap) will join the dialogue.
On November 16, several Islamic-oriented parties will be invited for the morning session, while other parties will participate in the afternoon. November 17 will see the Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal (ML), Gonotontri Party, Bangladesh National Awami League, Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Kalyan Party in the morning. The afternoon session will include the Jatiyo Party (Plough), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Jasod), Workers Party of Bangladesh, Jaker Party, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, and Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote.
On November 19, the Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM), Bangladesh Minority Janata Party (BMJP), Insaniat Biplab Bangladesh, Bangladesh Republican Party (BRP), Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party, and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) will attend the morning session. The afternoon session will include Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, Amar Bangladesh (AB) Party, Bangladesh Development Party, Bangladesh Islamic Front, and Khelafat Majlish.
On November 20, BNP, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), GOP, Nagorik Oikya, Ganosamhati Andolon, Bangladesh Labour Party, and Jatiya Ganotantrik Party (Jagpa) will participate in the morning session.
Electoral Code of Conduct and Preparations
As part of preparations for the dialogues, the EC has made changes to the electoral code of conduct in line with an ordinance promulgated on November 3. This includes amendments to the Representation of the People Order, 1972. The Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates in Parliamentary Elections Rules 2025 will soon be published in the official gazette, with the code expected to be one of the key discussion topics during the dialogues.
EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed mentioned that political parties would be invited in groups due to time constraints before the announcement of the election schedule. This approach marks a shift from previous practices, where each party was usually invited separately.
Broader Engagement and Final Tasks
In addition to engaging with political parties, the EC has held dialogues with various stakeholders, including civil society representatives, teachers, senior journalists, election experts, and election observers. The Commission also engaged with law enforcement agencies and intelligence bodies on October 20 and with top government officials on October 30.
The EC has completed or nearly finalized all important tasks, including amendments to electoral laws, delimitation of constituencies, updating voter lists, finalizing polling stations, registering new political parties, and registering election observers.