The Election Commission (EC) commenced the registration process for new political parties wishing to contest the forthcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.
A public notice regarding this was issued on Monday (10 March).
Speaking to the press, Additional Secretary of the EC KM Ali Nawaz stated that if the election is to take place in December, the registration process must begin immediately.
Prospective parties will have to apply under the existing legal framework, and the official notice regarding this matter is expected to be released on 10 March.
The EC aims to finalise the election schedule by October, requiring three to four months for scrutiny of new applications.
The commission intends to complete the registration process by August.
Registration with the EC is mandatory for any political party wishing to contest in the national elections under its electoral symbol. Independent candidates, however, are exempt from this requirement.
According to the EC, the deadline for submitting registration applications is tentatively set for 20 April.
Following a rigorous vetting process, new parties fulfilling the stipulated conditions will be granted registration.
The commission has already made a formal decision on the matter in an internal meeting.
Currently, 49 political parties hold valid registrations with the EC.
Among the newly formed parties, the National Citizens’ Party (NCP) has drawn the most attention. Founded by leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement that spearheaded the July Revolution, NCP is one of 16 political parties established over the past seven months.
Of these, 11 were formed last year, while five have emerged in the current year. However, many of these parties have yet to outline clear political objectives, with some still inactive in organisational activities.
Registration requirements
Under existing electoral laws, political parties seeking registration must meet specific eligibility criteria and submit a non-refundable registration fee of Tk5,000 along with ten mandatory documents.
These include an official application on party letterhead, the party’s constitution, election manifesto (if available), regulations (if applicable), logo and flag, a list of central committee members, bank account details and financial statements, sources of funding, authorisation documents for the applicant, proof of treasury deposit for the registration fee, and evidence of meeting at least one of the three mandatory registration criteria.
As per Section 90(k) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO), a political party must fulfil at least one of the following three conditions to qualify for registration:
- The party must have won at least one parliamentary seat under its own electoral symbol in any election held since independence.
- The party’s candidates must have secured at least 5% of the total votes cast in constituencies where they contested.
- The party must have a fully functional central office, established district offices in at least one-third of the country’s districts, and active offices in at least 100 upazilas or metropolitan police precincts, each with documented support from at least 200 registered voters.
- Additionally, the party’s constitution must stipulate that all committees, including the central committee, will be elected.
- It must also ensure that at least 33% of committee members are women, a requirement to be fully implemented by 2030.
EC officials emphasised that new parties must comply with the third criterion, as the first two are unattainable for newly established organisations.
NCP and all other aspiring political parties must meet this requirement to secure registration.
However, the interim government’s Electoral System Reform Commission has proposed easing certain requirements for new parties.
Under their recommendations, parties seeking registration must establish offices in at least 10% of districts and 5% of upazilas or precincts and must have at least 5,000 members.
The registration system was first introduced in 2008 ahead of the ninth parliamentary election. Since then, the EC has registered 54 political parties, though five registrations were later revoked due to non-compliance or court rulings.
The parties whose registrations were annulled include Jamaat-e-Islami, Freedom Party, United Citizens’ Movement, PDP, and JAGPA.
Following last year’s student-led movement that led to the fall of the Awami League government, the EC granted registration to several new parties, including the AB Party, Nurul Haque Nur’s Gono Odhikar Parishad (GOP), Mahmudur Rahman’s Nagorik Oikya, and the Gonosamhati Andolon.
After assuming office, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin also approved the registration of the Bangladesh Development Party (BDP) in compliance with a court directive.
Before each parliamentary election, the EC issues a public notice inviting applications from new parties seeking registration.
Alongside fresh applicants, previously unregistered parties may also submit applications in response to this announcement.
