Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has apologised for his remark about standing with sword and rifle. 

"The has been a confusion. I said the day before yesterday, if someone comes with a sword, you stand with a rifle. You must understand that a Chief Election Commissioner can never say this seriously. I may be undereducated. Even a less educated person cannot say such things. I said it as a joke," CEC Kazi Habibul Awal said after the Election Commission's (EC) dialogue with the Islami Oikya Jote on Tuesday (19 July). 

"A Chief Election Commissioner can never mean it. And if I did, I would have told everyone to collect weapons from day one. You collect weapons and strengthen yourself. But I never said this. We often say that there is a word in English, humor, which means joke," he added. 

"Sometimes we make mistakes. Sorry for that. I went for humor. I didn't mean it. Please forgive and excuse me for that."

"You will be in the field. You, the candidates, will control the field. I sincerely desire your cooperation and support," he further said. 

Kazi Habibul Awal said that he really want neutral elections.

"We are all honest, hard working. Strong commitment to transparent elections," he said. 

Advising the political parties to come to the field with strong morale and strength, the CEC said "I will tell the political parties to hold inter-party dialogue. Try a to reach consensus on some questions. Because it is a big problem. At the center is the center of violence; revolving around the cycle of money and muscle power. Without our concerted efforts, it becomes difficult for the Election Commission alone to solve it."

Earlier, CEC Kazi Habibul Awal said that the EC cannot stop violence during the polls and called on the political parties to take responsibility.

"Stand with rifles if someone stands with a sword," the CEC said during the EC's dialogue with the Nationalist Democratic Movement (NDM) on Sunday (17 July). 

Amid uncertainty over the participation of all the political parties in the country, the EC is holding dialogues with the country's 39 registered political parties on the upcoming twelfth national election. EC is scheduled to hold talks with four parties a day until 31 July.