Senior Secretary of the Election Commission Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed spoke at a briefing at Nirbachan Bhaban in city’s Agargaon. Photo: BSS

 
DHAKA, Nov 18, 2025 (BSS) - The Election Commission (EC) has registered the 
National Citizen Party (NCP) and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) ahead 
of the upcoming 13th national elections.

Senior Secretary of the EC Secretariat Akhtar Ahmed revealed this information 
at a press briefing in front of his office at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city's 
Agargaon area today.

The EC published a gazette regarding the registration of the two parties, he 
said.

About the registration process of new parties on the eve of the 13th national 
elections, Akhtar Ahmed said the EC had started working on the registration 
of 143 political parties. 

In the first stage of review, he said, the EC rejected the applications of 
121 parties.
 
Later, the commission started working on the registration of 22 parties and 
out of those, the EC published notices in newspapers about three parties, the 
EC official added.
 
Akhtar Ahmed said the names of the three parties are National Citizen Party 
(NCP), Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) and Bangladesh Aam Janagan 
Party. 

"We had given notices in the newspapers about these three parties. In its 
continuation, we received some objections about the Bangladesh Aam Janagan 
Party," he said.

The EC Secretary said no objection was received about the Bangladesh 
Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist) and the NCP, so the Commission decided to register 
the NCP and the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Marxist).

He said the EC will decide further after reviewing the objections it received 
about the Bangladesh Aam Janagan Party.

Stating that further review is now underway regarding seven parties, the EC 
Secretary said 14 parties applied for review. Out of the 14 parties, he said, 
applications of seven parties were rejected in the first stage.

Responding to a question about referendum, the EC Secretary said, "We have 
not received any instructions regarding the referendum yet. As soon as we 
receive the instructions, we will inform you what instructions we have 
received and what our action plan is."

Replying to another question, he said in light of the work plan, the EC has 
been lagging behind in two things, so far,-- one is discussions with 
political parties and the other is finalisation of observer organisations. 

"We are continuously holding talks with political parties," he added.