Ehsanul Haque Jasim :
The BNP-led 20-party alliance is joining the country’s maiden party-basis municipal polls, scheduled for December 30, with a common electoral symbol. ‘Sheaf of Paddy’, the election symbol of the BNP, will be the common symbol of the 20-party alliance’s mayor candidates, sources said. The alliance on Friday formally announced their decision of taking part in the polls and set several demands, including deferring the polls by 15 days and release of the leaders and workers of the alliance to create level playing field for all.
BNP’s Spokesperson Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon informed the 20-party alliance’s decision and placed the demands in a press briefing at the party’s Nayapaltan central office in the city.
Dr Ripon said that the 20-party alliance’s top leaders have agreed to join the upcoming municipal polls under the banner of the alliance.
The alliance on Thursday night decided to join the municipal polls in the 236 municipalities under the banner of 20-party alliance. BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia chaired the meeting in her Gulshan office.
An alliance leader said that they took the decision of nominating joint candidates for mayor post to ensure the victory of the alliance candidates.
Shafiul Alam Prodhan, President of Jatiya Ganotantrik Party, said that all alliance members were asked to submit the list of their parties’ candidates to Khaleda Zia by Friday (yesterday). The BNP Chief will finalise all the mayor candidates of the 20-party alliance.
Jamaat-e-Islami is considering the decision of the 20-party alliance as a boon because the Election Commission has decided not to allow the party to file nomination, as its registration with the EC was declared illegal by the High Court.
The EC on Wednesday sent letters to all the registered political parties except Jamaat-e-Islami. In the letters, the EC asked the parties to send the names of their authorized persons who would pick mayor candidates.
EC Secretary Sirajul Islam said, they are not considering Jamaat-e-Islami a registered political party due to HC’s verdict.
The Jamaat leaders in 25 to 30 of municipalities are taking preparations to file nominations for the mayor post.
A Jamaat leader said that their candidates would join the polls with ‘Sheaf of Paddy’ or any other common electoral symbol of 20-party alliance. They thought to field their candidates as independent candidate, but now they will think to join the polls with common symbol, he added.
Meanwhile, BNP insiders said that the party has already finalised the list of its mayor candidates for the municipal polls. The party also formed a six-member committee, led by its standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, to monitor the elections.
The BNP also formed 19 separate committees, headed by party senior leaders, to carry out electioneering in favour of their candidates and monitor elections in 19 greater districts where the municipal elections will be held.
