The Election Commission (EC) will hold a dialogue with journalists on Monday as part of its ongoing consultations ahead of the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election.

The meeting will take place at the conference room of the EC Secretariat in Agargaon, Dhaka, confirmed Ashadul Haque, Assistant Director (Public Relations) of the EC.

According to the schedule, representatives from electronic media will attend the session from 10:30am to 12:30pm, while print media journalists will join from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin will preside over the dialogue, which will also be attended by the four Election Commissioners.

As part of its efforts to ensure a free, fair, peaceful, and festive election environment, the EC has been holding a series of meetings with various stakeholders — including political parties, academics, intellectuals, civil society members, journalists, election observers, and women leaders — to gather opinions and suggestions.

Ashadul Haque said over 40 media representatives from different outlets are expected to participate in the upcoming discussion.

Earlier, on September 28, the EC began its series of dialogues with stakeholders. On the first day, representatives from civil society and academia participated, stressing the importance of ensuring security for all to achieve a credible election.

They also highlighted the crucial role of a free and effective media in maintaining transparency and urged the EC to ensure that journalists can work independently throughout the electoral process — from election preparations and polling to result announcements — so that the public receives accurate information and misunderstandings can be avoided.

MN/