Staff Correspondent

The Election Commission (EC) has issued a public notice inviting applications for registration of new political parties ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliament elections.

The EC issued the public notice today, inviting applications for registration from new political parties wishing to participate in the elections.

Political parties can apply for registration until April 20 and new party can apply for registration according to the previous law, the EC public notice said.

It said that political parties under the section 90A of the Representation of the People Order, 1972 and capable of fulfilling the conditions mentioned in the Political Party Registration Rules, 2008 are hereby invited to apply for registration by April 20 by filling out Form-1 annexed to the rules as per the guidelines issued by the Election Commission.

The notification stated that if a political party wants to obtain registration, it must fulfill one of three conditions.

The conditions are-

The party must have authentic document in support of winning at least one seat with the party's election symbol in any of the parliamentary election held since the independence of Bangladesh up to the date of submission of the application.

Or the party will have a certificate issued by the commission or an authorized officer in support of winning at least five percent of the total cast votes of a constituency in any of the parliamentary election held since the independence of Bangladesh up to the date of submission of the application.

Or the political party must have a central office and a central committee, offices in at least one third administrative districts and minimum 100 upazilas or metropolitan cities having at least 200 party members who are enlisted voters of the constituency.

The notification said that a political party interested in registration must apply on its own letterhead pad and attach the required documents with the application.