Sagar Biswas :
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP], which had boycotted general election in 2014, may take part in the upcoming local government elections to be held on a partisan basis by December of this year.
The high command of BNP may take a positive decision on this issue apparently to keep the morale of the grassroots-level leaders high and also to consolidate the party’s rank and file, senior party leaders said.
“The decision about local government election will be taken in the party forum and the final decision may come after the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia returns home from London. She [Khaleda] will return soon. We [BNP] haven’t taken any decision yet at party level,” Moudud Ahmed, a Standing Committee member of the party, said on Saturday after placing a wreath at President Ziaur Rahman’s grave in the city marking the National Solidarity Day.
Expressing determination about a strong fight, the veteran BNP leader said: “Most probably we [BNP] will take part in the polls. BNP will not let the Awami League to score in an empty field. At the same time, the BNP will carry on its movement for restoring democracy in the country.”
“We have taken part in the last four city corporation elections. Besides, we have participated in two city corporation elections in Dhaka north and south. We had also faced government’s hostile behaviour at that time……If such attitude [of government] continues, we will resist it.”
Some other BNP leaders, however, treated the government’s new plan [elections with its party symbol] as a ‘trick’ to involve BNP in the polls under this government. But they have expressed their views in favour of polls for the
sake of country’s democracy.
“BNP has been participating in all previous local government elections. The local government election is now a new dimension. The decision about the local government elections will be taken after discussing with the party top leaders,” BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan has said.
Not only that former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Emajuddin Ahmed earlier said that BNP would take part in the coming local government election with the party symbol despite earlier opposition against it.
“BNP will win the election getting 70 percent of vote if the election is fair and neutral,” Dr. Emajuddin said.
Interestingly, the ‘hint’ of BNP leaders about participating local body polls came at a time when the ruling AL categorically ruled out the possibility of holding a national dialogue [proposed by BNP] to overcome the current political crisis. In the latest move, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia called [from London] for a national dialogue among the political parties. But the AL leaders have taken the dialogue call negatively.
Meanwhile, many AL grassroots leaders have said they preferred non-partisan polls at least at the Union Parishad [UP] level, although the AL prepares to hold all local government elections in a partisan manner. They feared the local elections under party banners would lead to intra-party feud and difficulty in ensuring single candidate for polls.
Already several grassroots leaders met the AL General Secretary and Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on October 31 to talk about the issue.
In this situation, Syed Ashraf assured the grassroots leaders that he would discuss the matter with Prime Minister and AL Chief Sheikh Hasina in the next meeting of AL Central Working Committee [ALCWC].
Earlier in April 29, the AL-backed candidates swept to victory in city corporation elections after their opponents [mainly BNP men] withdrew in protest, underscoring the deep divisions that remained between the government and the country’s main opposition party.
In the election marred by allegations of irregularities and vote-rigging, AL candidates Annisul Huq and Sayeed Khokon were elected mayors of Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations, respectively. Besides, another AL candidate AJM Nasir Uddin won the race for mayor of Chittagong city.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP], which had boycotted general election in 2014, may take part in the upcoming local government elections to be held on a partisan basis by December of this year.
The high command of BNP may take a positive decision on this issue apparently to keep the morale of the grassroots-level leaders high and also to consolidate the party’s rank and file, senior party leaders said.
“The decision about local government election will be taken in the party forum and the final decision may come after the BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia returns home from London. She [Khaleda] will return soon. We [BNP] haven’t taken any decision yet at party level,” Moudud Ahmed, a Standing Committee member of the party, said on Saturday after placing a wreath at President Ziaur Rahman’s grave in the city marking the National Solidarity Day.
Expressing determination about a strong fight, the veteran BNP leader said: “Most probably we [BNP] will take part in the polls. BNP will not let the Awami League to score in an empty field. At the same time, the BNP will carry on its movement for restoring democracy in the country.”
“We have taken part in the last four city corporation elections. Besides, we have participated in two city corporation elections in Dhaka north and south. We had also faced government’s hostile behaviour at that time……If such attitude [of government] continues, we will resist it.”
Some other BNP leaders, however, treated the government’s new plan [elections with its party symbol] as a ‘trick’ to involve BNP in the polls under this government. But they have expressed their views in favour of polls for the
sake of country’s democracy.
“BNP has been participating in all previous local government elections. The local government election is now a new dimension. The decision about the local government elections will be taken after discussing with the party top leaders,” BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan has said.
Not only that former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Emajuddin Ahmed earlier said that BNP would take part in the coming local government election with the party symbol despite earlier opposition against it.
“BNP will win the election getting 70 percent of vote if the election is fair and neutral,” Dr. Emajuddin said.
Interestingly, the ‘hint’ of BNP leaders about participating local body polls came at a time when the ruling AL categorically ruled out the possibility of holding a national dialogue [proposed by BNP] to overcome the current political crisis. In the latest move, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia called [from London] for a national dialogue among the political parties. But the AL leaders have taken the dialogue call negatively.
Meanwhile, many AL grassroots leaders have said they preferred non-partisan polls at least at the Union Parishad [UP] level, although the AL prepares to hold all local government elections in a partisan manner. They feared the local elections under party banners would lead to intra-party feud and difficulty in ensuring single candidate for polls.
Already several grassroots leaders met the AL General Secretary and Public Administration Minister Syed Ashraful Islam on October 31 to talk about the issue.
In this situation, Syed Ashraf assured the grassroots leaders that he would discuss the matter with Prime Minister and AL Chief Sheikh Hasina in the next meeting of AL Central Working Committee [ALCWC].
Earlier in April 29, the AL-backed candidates swept to victory in city corporation elections after their opponents [mainly BNP men] withdrew in protest, underscoring the deep divisions that remained between the government and the country’s main opposition party.
In the election marred by allegations of irregularities and vote-rigging, AL candidates Annisul Huq and Sayeed Khokon were elected mayors of Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations, respectively. Besides, another AL candidate AJM Nasir Uddin won the race for mayor of Chittagong city.
