Awami League yesterday decided to sit with the Election Commission (EC) once on September 9 to place its demands for holding the stalled parliamentary polls first, lifting the state of emergency before the election and Sheikh Hasina's permanent release.
Earlier, the AL was scheduled to sit with the EC twice-- September 4 and September 9--to discuss the crucial issues.
“Some of our presidium members, including Tofail Ahmed and Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, are now ill. Considering their health condition, we're not sitting with the EC tomorrow. We sit once on September 9,” AL acting President Zillur Rahman told reporters.
Zillur was talking to the journalists when AL leader Kamal Ahmed Majumder who was released from jail came to meet him at his Gulshan residence.
“Our stand at the dialogue with the EC will be very much rigid. We won't accept any election under the state of emergency. The emergency must go fully as party registration under this is not possible,” he said.
AL will take part in the parliamentary polls only under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, he said.
“We'll meet the 14-party partners Thursday and Friday to reach a consensus on our demands,” Zillur said.