The BNP-led 19-party alliance is now giving top priority to the upazila election to bag majority chairman and vice chairman post, in order to launch an all-out movement for a fresh national election under a non-party poll-time government system.
Talking to The New Nation, the alliance leaders said, they believe that the anti-government movement would be intensified if the alliance-baked candidates repeat their predecessors’ performance in the city corporations and municipalities elections last year. Sources said that the BNP standing committee at its meeting on Thursday discussed the matter and the members of the party’s highest forum opined if the results were in favour of them, they could put pressure on the government to hold fresh general election without delay. They also discussed about an ultimatum to the government in this regard.
At the meeting, the party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia directed the senior leaders to work hard for victory of the BNP-backed candidates, the sources added.
When asked, BNP standing committee member Lt General (retd) Mahubur Rahman said, although the upazila election is non-partisan one, party-backed candidates have the chance to participate. If the BNP can perform well in the election, it will encourage the leaders and workers of the BNP and its allies and fuel the anti-government movement. So, the strategy of the street movement will be taken on the basis of the election result, he said.
He said BNP is now giving top priority to the upazila election because the people want to elect the BNP men in the upazila elections.
