<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Tuesday apologised for his rifle against sword comment during his ongoing dialogue with political parties.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>"Sometimes we make mistakes. Sorry for that. I went for humour. I didn't mean it. Please forgive and excuse me for that," he said after his meetimg with Islami Oikya Jote.</div><div><br></div><div>The CEC came under fire after his controversial comment he made on Sunday during talks with National Democratic Party.</div><div><br></div><div>Habibul repeatedly said that his comment about responding to swords with rifles during elections was a joke.</div><div><br></div><div>"You must understand that a Chief Election Commissioner can never say this seriously. I may be undereducated. Even a less educated person cannot say such things. I said it as a joke." he said.</div><div><br></div><div>"A Chief Election Commissioner can never mean it. And if I did, I would have told everyone to collect weapons from day one. You collect weapons and strengthen yourself. But I never said this. We often say that there is a word in English, humor, which means joke," he added.</div><div><br></div><div>On Tuesfay he advised the political parties to come to the field with strong morale and strength.</div><div><br></div><div>The CEC asked the political parties to hold inter-party dialogue and try to reach a consensus on some questions as it is a big problem. .</div><div><br></div><div>He also said it becomes difficult for the Election Commission alone to solve it without concerted efforts of all.</div><div><br></div><div>An 11-member delegation led by Chairman of Islami Oikya Jote Maulana Abul Hasanat Amini, participated in the dialogue where four election commissioners and senior officials also were present.</div><div><br></div><div>A meeting with Bangladesh Kalyan Party was scheduled in the morning. But the party did not join the dialogue. .</div><div><br></div><div>Earlier, Bangladesh Muslim League also did not participate in the dialogue.</div><div><br></div><div>EC has completed dialogue with eight parties so far and it is scheduled to sit with other 29 parties until July 31. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>