DHAKA: The Bangladesh 13th national parliamentary election – pending since the Sheikh Hasina govt’s ouster last year – will be held on Feb 12, the Election Commission announced on Thursday. There are currently 56 political parties registered with the commission, and among them, the registration of the Hasina-led Awami League – the country’s oldest party – remains suspended.Chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin announced the poll schedule in a pre-recorded televised address, setting Dec 29 as the last date for filing nomination papers. Election campaign will begin on Jan 22 and will end on Feb 10 at 7.30am. Voting in all 300 parliamentary constituencies will take place on Feb 12, he said.

Hasina’s Awami League rejected the polls schedule announced by what it called the “illegal govt’s illegal election commission” and demanded a neutral govt to hold elections.With PTI inputs