<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The Election Commission (EC) announced the names of a dozen political parties out of the 93 parties that had applied for registration with the Commission in the preliminary selection process.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam made the announcement at the Nirbachon Bhaban in the city's Agargaon on Tuesday.</div><div><br></div><div>He said the commission, led by Kazi Habibul Awal, initiated the selection process at the field level while the registration for these parties will be finalised by next June.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said a committee headed by the joint secretary scrutinised these applications who applied for fresh registration.</div><div><br></div><div>The 12 parties emerging after the primary selection are: AB Party (Amar Bangladesh Party), Bangladesh Nationalist Movement (BNM), Bangladesh Humanist Party (BHP), Gono Odhikar Parishad, Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesh Sanatan Party (BSP), Bangladesh Supreme Party (BSP), Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Minority Janata Party (BMJP), Bangladesh People's Party (BPP), Democratic Party and Bangladesh Liberal Democratic Party (BLDP).</div><div><br></div><div>Jahangir said that in the first stage, the concerned committee recommended the cancellation of the applications of 14 out of 93 parties, while two parties withdrew their applications. Later, the remaining 77 parties were given 15 days to provide additional documents. From that group, the Election Commission selected the 12 parties.</div><div><br></div><div>The commission decided to collect information at the field level about these 12 parties. The commission will reach a final decision after verification at the field level, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>According to the commission-announced roadmap, the finalization process will be completed by June.</div><div><br></div><div>The Representation of the People Order (RPO) in Bangladesh requires political parties to register with the commission to contest elections. Without registration, parties can take part in different political and social activities but are not allowed to take part in elections.</div><div><br></div><div>To register, a party has to deposit Tk 5,000 as a fee, and is required to meet at least one condition out of the following three with supporting documentation-</div><div><br></div><div># A new party needs to have an active central office, a central committee, offices in at least one-third of the administrative districts, and a memorandum of endorsement from a minimum of 200 voters as its members in each Upazila/metropolitan area.</div><div><br></div><div># Having at least one member of the party who had won in a previous general election took place after the independence of Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div># Securing at least five percent of total votes cast in the constituencies in which its candidates took part in any of the post-independence general elections.</div><div><br></div><div>At present, the number of registered parties with the EC stands at 39.</div><div><br></div><div>The newly formed commission, led by Kazi Habibul Awal, is contemplating scheduling the 12th parliamentary general elections between Dec 2023 and Jan 2024. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>