Safiqul Islam (Jami)
The Gonoforum, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and the Islamic Andolon Bangladesh (IAB) will not take part in the ongoing dialogue called by the President for the formation of a new Election Commission (EC). This information was given by these organizations separately yesterday.
Gonoforum: a section of the Gonoforum has requested to Dr. Kamal Hossain not to participate in the President’s dialogue. The president of this section Mostafa Mohsin Montu said this at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. He said. We have contacted Kamal Hossain. We have asked him not to go into this dialogue. We also gave him a letter. In that letter stated that in the interest of keeping the tradition and reputation of the Gonoforum intact. I humbly request Kamal Hossain and the Gonoforum to refrain from participating in this dialogue.

CPB: The Communist Party of Bangladesh-CPB has written a letter to the President expressing its inability to participate in the dialogue. This was stated in a press release signed by party presidium member Abdullah Qafi Ratan on Saturday.

The letter sent by the CPB to the President said that in the interest of fair elections and democracy, it is absolutely necessary to have a neutral election commission in the country. But that is not enough for free, fair, neutral elections. Free and fair elections cannot be ensured unless the fundamental shortcomings of the commission are rectified. From these basic considerations, the CPB gave you in January 2017 recommendations for 53 specific steps, including proportional representation, for the radical reform of elections. In this situation, the CPB has nothing new to say by joining exactly the same agenda and another dialogue of the same nature. That is why we do not realize the need to join them. However, the leaders thanked the President for inviting them to the dialogue.

IAB: Meanwhile, the Islamic Movement Bangladesh, an organization of Charmonai Pir, has decided not to take part in the ongoing dialogue convened by the President. IAB’s Ameer Mufti Syed Mohammad Rezaul Karim made the remarks at a press conference at the party’s central office in Purana Paltan on Saturday afternoon. He said that the IAB does not consider it appropriate to take part in a non-appealing and meaningless dialogue against the aspirations of the people.

The Bangladesh Socialist Party-BSD has already informed the President not to enter into dialogue with the President. Besides, the BNP lso has decided not to take part in the current dialogue as it is meaningless. President Abdul Hamid has started dialogue with political parties since December 20 to form a new election commission.