Dhaka: Bangladeshs Election Commission on Sunday extended by a week the deadline for filing nomination papers for contesting December 18 general elections even as hectic backstage parleys continued with Khaleda Zias BNP to ensure its participation in the elections.

Election Commission Secretary M Humayun Kabir said nominations must now be filed by November 20. Political parties had asked the commission to move back the original November 13 deadline to allow more candidates to submit their nomination papers.

It has re-fixed the last date for filing nomination papers for the parliamentary election on November 20,and the deadline for withdrawing nominations on November 29.

"The government is even ready to defer the date of parliament and upazila elections, lift emergency on the date of withdrawing nomination, and release of the detained leaders of the (BNP-led) four-party alliance leaders who are not convicted yet," a government leader familiar with the situation said preferring anonymity.

The commission did not explain the reasons for the change but the development came a senior adviser of the interim government was engaged to negotiate with BNP, which set precondition for their participation in the polls.

The sources said the high command of BNP is putting pressure on the government to accept the demand for releasing all detainees including the convicted ones.

"If this demand is met along with other three-point BNP will participate in the election," said an influential BNP leader, preferring anonymity for now.

While Zias arch-rival Sheikh Hasina of Awami League said the election should be held on the announced date and her party would contest it even if the BNP did not participate.

Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman is said to be engaged in the negotiation process. Rahman on Sunday said, if needed, the poll date could be deferred in consultation with all major parties to ensure their participation in the elections.

The EC earlier this month announced the schedule for the December 18 polls to end the nearly two years of state of emergency and the tenure of the current interim administration installed on January 12,2007 with crucial military support.

According to newspaper reports and political sources BNPs crucial partner Jamaat-e-Islam in the four party rightwing grouping was visibly preparing to contest the polls despite the hesitation on the part of the BNP leadership.

He said BNP has taken a tough stand as the party is facing crisis in fielding candidates in the election as the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) would debar over 40 of their prospective candidates from contesting the polls as they were already convicted under the tough law as part of a massive anti-graft campaign.

The government negotiation with the BNP coincided with the visible pressure of the international community including United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon on BNP to supplement the government efforts while the influential foreign media appreciated the government move to return power to an elected government.

The analysts said Jamaat too is trying to bring BNP to polls as this crucial rightwing partner of the alliance is visibly trying to reap benefit from the situation through filling up the vacuum in BNP, fielding their own candidates in constituencies, which were likely to be contested by reformist elements of BNP or the convicted loyalists.

Source : DNA