DHAKA: All of Bangladesh’s major political players are expected to take part in national elections in December after an 11th hour registration yesterday by one of the biggest parties, an official said.
Election Commission Secretary Humayun Kabir told AFP more than 50 parties had registered to take part in the elections, with the heavyweight Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) registering yesterday, the last day to do so.
“The other big party, Awami League, had already applied for registration. The BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami submitted their applications today,” he said. Jamaat-e-Islami is the country’s third largest party and a political ally of the BNP.
The Dec. 18 election — the first national polls to be held in Bangladesh in seven years — will end almost two years of emergency rule.
The BNP and the Awami League had between themselves ruled the country since 1991, up until weeks of political violence in early 2007 prompted the military to intervene and set up a caretaker administration.
The interim authorities have pushed through key electoral and political reforms, including more stringent rules for those wishing to take public office.
The emergency government has also embarked on a crackdown on corruption and locked up BNP leader Khaleda Zia and her political rival Hasina Wajed, the head of the Awami League, on graft charges.
