Political crises can't be solved without dialogue: CEC tells US envoy

The ongoing political crises in Bangladesh cannot be resolved without a dialogue among political parties, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal told US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas on Tuesday.

"They [US embassy] also believe that there is a real need for dialogue between the political parties. Without a dialogue, these crises cannot be resolved on the streets," the CEC told reporters after a meeting with Haas at the Election Commission office on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Awal emphasised that creating a conducive environment for elections is crucial, and resolving the existing political issues would significantly aid in the smooth conduct of the electoral process.

"If these issues are resolved politically, then it will be very comfortable for us to hold elections. It will be much easier," he said.

The chief election commissioner reiterated his hopes for the political parties to come together and engage in discussions to find common ground. "We believe the parties should sit together and have tea. Then the crisis should be resolved through discussion."

During the meeting, Peter Haas noted that he has come to know from news reports that those who are being registered by the Election Commission as political parties are not that "vibrant".

In response to the US envoy's question about why certain parties perceived as vibrant were not registered, CEC Awal told him that the Election Commission strictly adheres to the criteria outlined in their rules for party registration.

"In order to register a party, we have strictly followed the rules and the criteria required to be met. As a result, many parties were unable to secure registration. However, two parties may get registration as they fulfilled the necessary requirements at the district and upazila levels," he said.

The meeting also covered queries regarding the issue of whether journalists can use motorcycles during the upcoming election.

Ambassador Haas sought clarification on this matter, to which the CEC responded that the matter is currently under consideration.

"We have said that this matter is under consideration. We have already informed the local returning officers that they will issue permission to motorcycles considering the situation there. We will also review the matter centrally and take a decision," Habibul Awal said.

Meanwhile, the US ambassador expressed concern over the amendment to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), which appeared to have curtailed the power of the Election Commission.

In response, the CEC clarified that the amendment, in fact, increased their authority rather than diminishing it.

Ambassador Haas arrived at the Election Commission office in Agargaon around 11:10am.

After the meeting that lasted approximately an hour and a half, both Ambassador Haas and CEC Awal addressed the journalists present.