Dhaka  - The Election Commission in Bangladesh ordered political parties to register or be disqualified from the December general election, officials said Wednesday.

"If any political party wants to contest in national polls it must first get registered with the Election Commission," chief election commissioner A T M Shamsul Huda said.

The registration is aimed at limiting the influence of money and political clout, Huda said.

The parties are expected to disclose their sources of funding, limit campaign spending and refrain from threats and violence.

The interim government backed by the military announced the general election on December 18 to restore parliamentary democracy after nearly two years of rule by successive caretaker regimes appointed by President Iajuddin Ahmad. (dpa)