Bangladesh Kalyan Party boycotts talks with EC 

Bangladesh Kalyan Party, one of the components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, has decided to not attend the ongoing Election Commission (EC) dialogue on the upcoming 12th general polls.

The party was scheduled to sit with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal and other commissioners in Dhaka at 10:30am on Tuesday.

Speaking with The Business Standard, Bangladesh Kallyan Party Chairman Maj Gen (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim (Bir Protik), said, "We will not join the EC talks. We have expressed our inability to be a part of this."

However, he did not elaborate on why the party rejected EC's invitation for dialogue over the next general polls.

EC dialogue: BNP reluctant to attend, other parties doubtful about outcome

Earlier on Sunday, the first day of the dialogue, Bangladesh Muslim League, another component of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, opted out of EC's call for talks. 

Secretary General of Bangladesh Muslim League Sheikh Zulfikar Bulbul Chowdhury said, "It is our political decision not to attend the dialogue. We are a part of the 20-party alliance. 

"We did not join the dialogue as BNP decided against it."

He also claimed that a free and fair Jatiya Sangsad (JS) election is not possible under this EC.

So far seven of the total 39 registered political parties have participated in the dialogue which started on Sunday.