'12th JS polls likely in Dec 2023 or Jan in 2024'

The 12th Jatiya Sangsad (JS) elections will be held in the last week of December in 2023 or the first week of January in 2024, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has said.

His remarks came on Monday at a meeting with Khilafat Majlis as part of the Election Commission's (EC) ongoing dialogues with the registered political parties at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city's Agargaon area ahead of the next general elections, reports BSS.

Three more political parties- Bangladesh Sangskritik Mukti Jote, Bangladesh Islamic Front and the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh- also took part in separate dialogues today with the EC.

Earlier in the meeting with Bangladesh Islamic Front, the CEC said there is no alternative to elections to form a public participatory government.

"Public participatory government should be formed while there is alternative to elections. We will never want drama to be staged in the name of elections. You don't want it too," Habibul Awal said, adding that the EC will try to hold an acceptable election.

Noting that the EC is still urging BNP to take part in the polls, the CEC said, "We have no say if they have different political strategy. We have no stance in favour of or against it (strategy)".

He urged all political parties to take part in the polls and form a democratic and public participatory Jatiya Sangsad through a free and fair election.

According to the schedule, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Islamic Oikya Jote, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal will sit for dialogues from 10:30am to 11:30am, 12noon to 1pm, 2:30pm to 3:30pm and 4pm to 5pm respectively on Tuesday.