Ease political party registration

Biplabi Gonojote, an alliance of seven political parties and organisations, has called for easing the party registration process by allowing registration with just a central office, central committee, and party constitution under the existing election laws.

The alliance has urged the Election Commission (EC) to amend the registration requirements so that a party can be registered easily.

The demand was made while a seven-member delegation of Biplabi Gonojote held a meeting yesterday with the EC, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, at the Election Bhaban in Dhaka's Agargaon.

Biplabi Gonojote was formed in November last year.

The alliance includes Bangladesh Gonomukti Party, Bangladesh Green Party, Biplobi Gorib Party, Bangladesh Sarbojanin Dal, Bangladesh Peace Forum, Samyabadi Dal of Bangladesh, and the Prayata Neta Smriti Sangshad.

Abdul Monem, coordinator of Biplabi Gonojote and general secretary of Gonomukti Party, said, "We discussed with the commission how the law can be replaced. We demanded that registration be granted with just a central committee, central office, and party constitution."

"The 1/11 government introduced a terrible law in the name of party registration. We have been protesting against it. After coming to power, Sheikh Hasina government made the registration process even more difficult. Politics was pushed to such a challenging point that running a political party would require at least Tk 3 million per month. We were protesting against that. Today, we discussed this issue."

He claimed that internationally, political parties are registered based on having just a committee or an office.

Monem said demands regarding reform of the electoral law and election system were presented to the commission.

"The commission said it would consider taking up some of our proposals on a pilot basis," he added.