BANGLADESH

The opposition alliance will join the president's dialogue on forming the new Election Commission, the BNP acting secretary general has announced.

"We've decided to take part in the president's dialogue. The matter has been discussed with the allies of the four parties," Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the press after a meeting on Monday evening.

Bangladesh Jatiya Party chairman Andalib Rahman Partho said the subject matter of the dialogue was discussed in the meeting.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia led a meeting of the leaders of the four-party alliance at her Gulshan office.

President Zillur Rahman will hold talks with Islami Oikya Jote on Jan 1, BJP on Jan 2, and BNP on Jan 11. The three allies have already received invitations.

Jamaat-e-Islami, another opposition ally, has not received any invitation yet, the party's assistant secretary general Nurul Islam Bulbul said.

The meeting, which started around 9pm, also discussed expansion of the alliance, Chittagong road march and liaison committee formation.

Fakhrul said the alliance's expansion would be announced soon. The decision will be finalised on Dec 29 at an alliance meeting.

Khilafat Majlish Amir Muhammad Ishaq said the alliance would also get a new name in that meeting.

Top leaders of the four opposition parties were present at the meeting.

BNP has been voicing its doubts about the president's dialogue since it began.

On Dec 22, Fakhrul had told the press: "We're not clear why the president is conducting the dialogue.

"What happens is that the prime minister sends a proposal to the president in line with the constitution [on the EC] and the president approves it," the spokesperson had said.