By Serajul Quadir
DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh's Chief Election Commissioner said on Thursday that the South Asian nation would hold general elections on December 23, and vowed that the Election Commission would ensure a free and fair election.
K.M. Nurul Huda, the head of the Election Commission, said he hopes all parties will participate in this election, in which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is seeking to get re-elected.
"I urge political parties to participate in the election to make it meaningful," said Huda during a nationwide address aired by state-run television and radio stations.
Bangladesh's ruling Awami League party on Wednesday rejected an opposition party's demand for a caretaker government ahead of the election. The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) says that a caretaker government is essential for free and fair polls, but the ruling party says the demand is unconstitutional.
(Reporting By Serajul Quadir; Editing by Euan Rocha)