Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad has once again called upon the two major parties to immediately reach a consensus on polls-time government.
"Time is slipping away. We requested the president to take initiative for a political consensus. Two weeks have past, but I don't see any specific development. Consensus should be reached before the time is over," he told journalists yesterday at the EC Secretariat
The CEC expressed the hope that the political violence across the country will end soon and the law and order will improve ahead of the parliamentary election slated for January 5.
The time limit for submitting nomination papers for the polls expired on Monday with 20 of the 41 registered political parties filing those.
The EC Secretariat yesterday categorised the 1,107 nomination papers submitted till expiry of the deadline.
A total of 325 aspirants submitted nomination papers under the banner of the ruling Awami League for the 300 constituencies across the country.
Of the 20 parties, six are components of the AL-led grand alliance. The five other components Jatiya Party (JP), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal,  Bangladesh National Awami Party, Workers' Party of Bangladesh and Gonotontri Party,
The other 14 include Islamic Front Bangladesh, Khelafat Majlish, Gono Front Jatiya Party (Manju), Bangladesh Islami Front, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, the newly registered   Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) and Mulsim League.
Gono Front, Muslim League, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob), Bangladesh National Awami Party and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) filed nomination papers for one constituency each.
Gonotontri Party filed nomination papers in two constituencies, Islamic Front Bangladesh in four, Bangladesh Islami Front in nine and Khelafat Majlish in two constituencies.
The BNF filed nomination papers for 34 constituencies and independent candidates 259 nomination papers.
The Jatiya Party submitted 248 nomination papers. But party chief HM Ershad yesterday announced that they will not participate in the election.
Asked about this, the CEC said, "The polls aspirants will have to follow some rules and regulations for both filing and withdrawing nomination papers."