Following field-level verification and scrutiny, the Election Commission (EC) will convene a meeting on Thursday to finalize the registration of new political parties.
This information was disclosed in a letter signed by Md Mahbub Alam Shah, deputy secretary of the EC.
According to the letter, on Thursday at 11:30am, the 13th meeting of the Committee on Boundary Re-determination, Political Party Registration, Preparation for National and Local Government Elections, Polling Station Establishment, Preparation and Oversight of Polling Officials Panel, and Beneficiary-Level Discussion will be held under the chairmanship of Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar.
The agenda of the meeting includes the registration of new political parties and miscellaneous matters.
As per the roadmap announced by the EC, a public notification regarding parties that fulfill the registration requirements will be issued by Sunday.
If any claims or objections are received within the stipulated period, the EC will hold hearings for the objectors between Monday and September 22.
If no claims or objections are received, the EC will finalize the registration applications, issue the gazette and provide registration certificates between September 23 and September 30.
Regarding this, Election Commissioner Md Anwarul Islam Sarkar said: “I have requested district-level investigation reports on 22 parties. Reports will be submitted based on their presence in 64 districts. Some reports are still in the pipeline, while others are being received.”
According to the law, a party seeking registration must have a central committee, at least one committee in a third district and 100 upazila (sub-district) committees, with proof of support from 200 voters in each committee.
Additionally, if any member of the party has previously served as a Member of Parliament or obtained at least 5% of votes in a prior election, it is considered a criterion for eligibility for registration.
Apart from these primary conditions, parties must also comply with several other rules and regulations when submitting their applications.
During preliminary screening, adherence to these rules is generally the primary focus.