During their dialogue with the Election Commission (EC), smaller political parties have repeatedly demanded a caretaker government and the dissolution of Parliament during general elections. Until September 14, the EC had met 10 political parties. Of them, eight had proposed that a caretaker government and not the incumbent one should hold the parliamentary polls. The eight parties that want elections under a caretaker government are: the Bangladesh Muslim League, the Khelafat Majlish, the Bangladesh Biplabi Workers’ Party, the Jatiya Gonotantrik Party, the Islami Andolon Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, the Kalyan Party, and the Islamic Front Bangladesh.

Some of the political leaders who have asked the EC for an interim government during the elections said they believe that the elections under the party in power would not be free, fair, and credible.

The other leaders, who have not proposed an interim government, said they want a guarantee from the EC that the elections under the incumbent government would be fair, participatory, and impartial.

Almost all the leaders of the political parties that took part in the EC’s dialogue said they will take part in the elections only if they feel that the environment is fit for polls.

Until September 14, the EC had completed dialogues with

10 political parties. Two parties—the Bangladesh Nationalist Front and the Islami Oikyajote—have not attended the dialogue yet, but have sought more time, citing some inconveniences.

The 10 parties that have had the dialogue with the EC are the Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote, which has placed a six-point proposal, the Bangladesh Muslim League (11-point proposal), the Khelafat Majlish (32-point proposal), the Bangladesh Biplabi Workers’ Party (23-point proposal), the Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (14-point proposal), the Bangladesh Islami Front (10-point proposal), the Islami Andolon Bangladesh (15-point proposal), the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish (15-point proposal), the Bangladesh Kalyan Party (8-point proposal), and the Islamic Front Bangladesh (12-point proposal).

The EC has no authority to dictate the government about the method it would follow to hold the parliamentary polls. Rather, the government tells the EC whether the elections would be held under the partisan system or under an interim government. The EC only follows the diktat.

But the political leaders said that though the EC has no authority to decide on the method, it can tell the government about the demands of the parties. They said the Constitution can be amended to form an election-time impartial government.

The secretary general of Khelafat Majlish, Ahmad Abdul Kader, demanded a constitutional amendment for the formation of an election-time impartial government for holding free, fair, and neutral polls with the participation of all parties.

“We have demanded the dissolution of Parliament once the schedule is announced. This would ensure a level playing field for all participants of the general elections,” said Saiful Huq, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Biplabi Workers’ Party.

The acting president of the Jatiya Gonotantrik Party, Prof. Rehena Prodhan, demanded a caretaker government, the dissolution of Parliament, and that the Prime Minister be sent on a three-month leave after a cancellation of her executive powers.

Islami Andolon Bangladesh presidium member Mosaddeq Billah Al Madani said the party’s 15-point proposal includes holding elections under an interim government after the dissolution of Parliament.

Mahfuzul Haque, the secretary general of the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, proposed holding the parliamentary elections under the interim government instead of the ruling party to ensure the participation of all parties.

“We don’t believe that the next parliamentary polls will be free and fair if they are held under the ruling party,” he said.

Maj. Gen. (retd) Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, the chairman of Bangladesh Kalyan Party, said: “We have talked about a caretaker government. We need a non-political, non-partisan, and impartial government during elections. For that, the existing legal framework can be amended though a mutual understanding, or a new framework can be thought of.”

The party leaders said they do not know how many of their proposals and suggestions about holding a free, fair, and neutral parliamentary polls would be acceptable to the EC. They added that if their proposals are not accepted, the talks would be meaningless and they will not take part in the elections.

The leaders said they have complete trust in the current EC, but want to see their proposals getting reflected in its actions and activities to create an environment for a free, fair, and neutral election.

The EC started the dialogue with the political parties on August 24. The EC’s schedule was to hold talks with six parties before Eid-ul-Azha and as many after Eid.

A source said the dialogue has not yet gained momentum as only minor parties have been involved in it until now. In the last general elections in 2014, none of them took part in the dialogue apart from the Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF).

Though the EC had scheduled its dialogue with the BNF on August 24, the party did not take any part in it, claiming that it was distributing relief materials among flood victims.

EC sources said they are listening to the proposals of the political parties. But while talking to some electronic media representatives at the Election Bhaban in Dhaka on August 17, chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda had said: “We will hold dialogues with the political parties. It’s only a dialogue. We will listen to them and they will listen to us. We will not have any issue with who comes and who doesn’t.”

Election experts said that such a statement would not encourage the political parties to take part in the next parliamentary polls. They also said that the EC has to consider the proposals of the political parties to make the dialogue more meaningful.

While talking to the media on August 17, the CEC had said: “The EC is a technical office because it holds elections in the system set by the government. We have no role to play in this regard.”

“Once there was a ‘yes’/‘no’ voting system, and the then EC had held the election accordingly. Once there was a caretaker government, and the EC had held the election following that rule. Now, the election will be held under the incumbent government. We will hold it accordingly. If there is a change, we will work according to that system. We have no role to play here,” he explained.