Despite strong criticism from different quarters, the Election Commission is all set to register the much talked about Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) as a political party, claiming it has met the registration criteria.

Besides, the commission has given approval to another political party, Bangladesh Sangskritik Mukti Jote, and its registration certificate will be handed over within a day or two, said EC officials.

To meet registration requirements, a political party must have offices, including a headquarter, in at least 21 districts and 100 upazilas or metropolitan thanas, with at least

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200 supporters in each upazila or thana.

"As per the field level investigation reports, the BNF has offices in 27 districts and 108 upazilas," a senior assistant secretary at the EC told The Daily Star yesterday.

"We have sent all the documents and investigation reports in a file to the EC secretary. Upon receiving the nod from him, the file will be placed before the commissioners for final approval," he added.

Earlier, the EC had granted additional time to BNF twice to meet the registration requirements in July and September, flouting the related law.

Several newspaper reports said the EC was very much proactive in registering the BNF, though the party had no offices in many upazilas. When the government officials went on field visits there, the party set up temporary offices and signboards.

Expelled BNP vice-chairman Nazmul Huda had launched the BNF early this year. Former BNP cabinet minister Prof Jahanara Begum, among others, joined the party.

In March, the BNF relieved Huda of its convener post for "anti-party activities" and made Jahanara its acting convener.

The main opposition BNP on several occasions had urged the EC not to give registration to the BNF as the party used the photograph of BNP founder and late president Ziaur Rahman and demanded "sheaf of wheat" as its electoral symbol, which is almost similar to BNP's "sheaf of paddy".

According to EC officials, Bangladesh Sangskritik Mukti Jote has offices in 34 districts and 112 upazilas. REGISTRATION OF NDP The EC will start reexamining the documents of National Democratic Party (NDP), a component ofBNP-led 18 party alliance, whether it could be given registration or not.