The Election Commission (EC) will hold a meeting on Thursday regarding the registration of new political parties after field-level verification, according to a letter signed by EC Deputy Secretary Mahbub Alam Shah.
The letter states that the 13th meeting of the Political Party Registration Committee, chaired by Election Commissioner Anwarul Islam Sarkar, will be held on September 11 at 11:30am. The agenda of the meeting includes matters related to the registration of new political parties and miscellaneous issues.
According to the EC’s announced roadmap, a public notice regarding the parties that have fulfilled the registration conditions will be published by September 14. Thereafter, if any claims or objections are received against any party within the specified time, the EC will hear objections from September 15 to September 22.
If no claims or objections are received within the specified time, the commission will finally approve the registration applications, publish a gazette, and issue registration certificates from September 23 to September 30.
Sources within the EC stated that during the investigation, the address information provided by many parties did not match. Some parties provided addresses of hourly rented offices. Additionally, discrepancies were found in the documents signed by supporting voters.
Many are not even aware that they are on the committee. Not a single party has been able to fulfill 100% of the conditions. However, among them, the Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party, led by Mohammad Rafiqul Amin, Managing Director of Destiny Group, has fulfilled the most conditions.
Next is the National Citizen Party (NCP), a political party born from the anti-discrimination student movement. Besides, the Janata Dal formed by former military officers and bureaucrats, the Bangladesh Beker Mukti Parishad, and the Bangladesh Solution Party have mostly met the conditions. Information about the district and upazila offices of other parties has been less accurate.
On the other hand, according to the law, to obtain registration as a new political party, an active central office along with a central committee is required. Additionally, there must be functional district offices in at least one-third of the administrative districts, offices in at least 100 upazilas, and a list of at least 200 registered voters as members in each.
Furthermore, if anyone from a party has been elected as a Member of Parliament in the past or received 5% of the votes in any previous election, it is considered eligible for registration.
Meanwhile, the 22 parties that survived the preliminary screening are: Forward Party, Am Janatar Dal, Bangladesh Ganatantrik Party (BGP), Bangladesh Reformist Party (BRP), Bangladesh Nezam-e-Islam Party, Bangladesh Socialist Party (Marxist), Moulik Bangla, Bangladesh Justice and Development Party, National Janta Party, Janata Dal, Jatiya Party Bangladesh, Bangladesh Am Janagan Party, National Citizen’s Party (NCP), Bangladesh Jatiya League, Bhashani Jonoshakti Party, Bangladesh Bekar Mukti Parishad, Bangladesh Communist Party (Marxist)–CPB (M), National Socialist Party (JSD–Shahjahan Siraj), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Nezam-e-Islam Party, Bangladesh Bekar Samaj (BABES), Bangladesh Solution Party, and Notun Bangladesh Party.
