Dhaka- Eighty-two political parties have applied for registration with Bangladesh's Election Commission to obtain eligibility for contesting December's general election, commission officials said Monday.

The parties applied to meet an extended deadline for the submissions, a mandatory provision promulgated by the country's military-backed interim government, led by Fakhruddin Ahmed.

The interim administration was installed in January 2007 against a backdrop of political turmoil.

Two major parties - the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League (AL), led by two former premiers, Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, respectively - were among those submitting their registration forms Monday.

The commission is to publish a final list of political parties to be qualified to vie for the parliamentary polls at the end of the month after scrutinizing their applications. The election is slated for December 18.

Only the registered political parties and independent candidates would be allowed to contest the parliamentary polls under the new electoral reforms promulgated in August. The independent candidates must obtain support from 1 per cent of voters from their constituencies to file nomination papers for the general election.

Political observers said the tough electoral conditions would discourage many people from contesting the election.

The military-backed government has been conducting dialogue with political parties for a smooth transition to democracy. (dpa)