BNP is likely to come up with a positive decision within a couple of days regarding joining the elections to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations as most senior leaders of the party think they should not leave the field empty for the ruling party to score.However, some party leaders think BNP should not retreat from its ongoing movement for joining the elections walking into the trap of the government in a bid to turn the movement unsuccessful. “I think it’s a tough decision to boycott the city elections under the current political context. The party will take a right decision in this regard considering the overall situation,” said BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman.”Our party will make our position on the city corporation elections clear within a day or two,” a senior BNP leader told UNB wishing anonymity. He said the party chairperson Khaleda Zia will take decision on it after elaborately discussing the issue with the party senior leaders and top alliance partners.Contacted after the announcement of the schedules for the elections to Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), most senior BNP leaders said their party is unlikely to give the ruling party a scope for winning the city polls without any challenge.Buoyed by the earlier success of the party in the city polls, most of the senior leaders think their party is likely to take a positive decision of joining the elections as the party has good prospects to win those which ultimately strengthen the party and the movement.”We can continue the movement alongside contesting the elections,” a party vice chairman said giving his logic in favour of joining the city polls. Another senior leader closed to Khaleda Zia said if BNP does not participate in the election directly for any reason, it will install independent candidates with clean images to defeat the Awami-League baked candidates. Some party leaders, however, said BNP will not be able to bunch back and force the regime to quit once it moves back from the current movement as they did after January-5 election.Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said, “We think it’s a government strategy to frustrate our current movement through holding the city polls. We’ll also devise our strategy to face it.”He said they have now the main focus on how to resolve the current political deadlock created by the government through holding a lopsided election. “People now want a national election, not the city corporation polls. We’re on the movement to establish a pro-people and representative government as per people’s will.”He, whoever, said as the Election Commission announced the schedules for the elections to Dhaka and Chittagong city corporations, their party high-ups will take timely decision assessing the country’s overall situation and people’s pulse. BNP chairperson’s media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan said there is no reason to think that BNP will allow the ruling party candidates to win the election unchallenged.”There’s no doubt that the government is going to hold elections to the city corporations with an evil intention. As the country’s largest political party having huge popularity, BNP will face it with prudence and political maturity.”He said BNP may take a dramatic decision over the participation in the city election after assessing the country’s overall political situation.
