Ehsanul Haque Jasim :
The BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami have not reached consensus till now about fielding common candidate in the upcoming Union Parishad (UP) polls. Sources said, the two parties are maintaining silent distance and may field separate candidates in the country’s first ever party-based UP polls.
The BNP said that it would join the polls and field party candidates across the country. On the other hand, some Jamaat leaders said that the party would field its own candidates in many places as independent contestants.
Sources said, the BNP is avoiding Jamaat, while the Jamaat is no more interested for negotiation with BNP. “Fielding of separate candidates by them will prove that the two parties or any one of them is not interested to field common candidates. It may also be a tactic,” said an observer.
A 20-party alliance leader said that they have not taken any decision till now about fielding common candidate in the UP polls. However, the BNP has formally announced to take part in the polls under the party banner.
Clearing the party’s stance, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed at a press conference in the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Friday said that the party’s grassroots leaders across the country would select party candidates for nomination in the UP polls.
Meanwhile, citing what they have called irregularities in the past few elections, two senior leaders have expressed their doubt about the fairness of the ensuing UP polls. However, both of them have said that the BNP will join the local government body’s elections.
BNP standing committee member Lt General (retd) Mahbubur Rahman at a discussion meeting in city said that BNP would take part in the UP polls although it has doubts about the free and fair elections. He was speaking at a discussion of Bangladesh Sangskritik Academy, a pro-BNP organisation, held at Bangladesh Photo Journalists’ Association Auditorium.
“The BNP is not against election. We want to join the UP polls. But we doubt whether they will be free, fair and impartial because in the past people saw how their voting rights were trampled upon. Even after the scenario, BNP will take part in the UP polls,” Mahbubur Rahman said.
Addressing another meeting at the National Press Club, BNP Vice-Chairman Abdullah Al Noman said, “This election will be meaningless if it is held like the previous municipal and Upazila elections. Even after the doubt, we are interested in taking part in the UP polls.”
Mahbubur Rahman and Abdullah Al Noman called upon the Election Commission (EC) to hold a free, fair and credible election. They, however, said the EC is not strong.
Meanwhile, a Jamaat leader said that they wouldn’t reach a consensus with the BNP, as they believe that BNP won’t appreciate them properly. “BNP will want to share only a few seats against the demand of Jamaat. Why will Jamaat go to reach a negotiation with the BNP on the issue?” he said.
Jamaat believes that the party will be able to field strong candidates in some UPs where the party has a good chance to win without support of the BNP.
A BNP leader said that they wouldn’t reach consensus with Jamaat centrally. “As the Union Parishad is the first tier of the local government and only the grassroots leaders will take part in the polls, so the local leaders of both parties would communicate with each other on the issue,” he said.
Sources said, the BNP has taken the UP polls seriously to boost the morale of the leaders and activists at the grassroots level. The party wants to take part in all local government elections to stay in politics at the grassroots level, as they have no alternative to joining the elections.
Several monitoring committees and supervising teams will be formed to oversee the poll preparations. Lt General (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said that the BNP is attaching due importance to the UP polls in order to consolidate the party’s base at the grassroots level. According to him, the party candidates for the UP polls would be selected after taking into consideration the views of the union-and thana-level committees.
The party high command has asked grassroots leaders to select candidates on the basis of their popularity in their respective areas, and by consulting the grassroots leaders.
The BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami have not reached consensus till now about fielding common candidate in the upcoming Union Parishad (UP) polls. Sources said, the two parties are maintaining silent distance and may field separate candidates in the country’s first ever party-based UP polls.
The BNP said that it would join the polls and field party candidates across the country. On the other hand, some Jamaat leaders said that the party would field its own candidates in many places as independent contestants.
Sources said, the BNP is avoiding Jamaat, while the Jamaat is no more interested for negotiation with BNP. “Fielding of separate candidates by them will prove that the two parties or any one of them is not interested to field common candidates. It may also be a tactic,” said an observer.
A 20-party alliance leader said that they have not taken any decision till now about fielding common candidate in the UP polls. However, the BNP has formally announced to take part in the polls under the party banner.
Clearing the party’s stance, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed at a press conference in the party’s Nayapaltan central office on Friday said that the party’s grassroots leaders across the country would select party candidates for nomination in the UP polls.
Meanwhile, citing what they have called irregularities in the past few elections, two senior leaders have expressed their doubt about the fairness of the ensuing UP polls. However, both of them have said that the BNP will join the local government body’s elections.
BNP standing committee member Lt General (retd) Mahbubur Rahman at a discussion meeting in city said that BNP would take part in the UP polls although it has doubts about the free and fair elections. He was speaking at a discussion of Bangladesh Sangskritik Academy, a pro-BNP organisation, held at Bangladesh Photo Journalists’ Association Auditorium.
“The BNP is not against election. We want to join the UP polls. But we doubt whether they will be free, fair and impartial because in the past people saw how their voting rights were trampled upon. Even after the scenario, BNP will take part in the UP polls,” Mahbubur Rahman said.
Addressing another meeting at the National Press Club, BNP Vice-Chairman Abdullah Al Noman said, “This election will be meaningless if it is held like the previous municipal and Upazila elections. Even after the doubt, we are interested in taking part in the UP polls.”
Mahbubur Rahman and Abdullah Al Noman called upon the Election Commission (EC) to hold a free, fair and credible election. They, however, said the EC is not strong.
Meanwhile, a Jamaat leader said that they wouldn’t reach a consensus with the BNP, as they believe that BNP won’t appreciate them properly. “BNP will want to share only a few seats against the demand of Jamaat. Why will Jamaat go to reach a negotiation with the BNP on the issue?” he said.
Jamaat believes that the party will be able to field strong candidates in some UPs where the party has a good chance to win without support of the BNP.
A BNP leader said that they wouldn’t reach consensus with Jamaat centrally. “As the Union Parishad is the first tier of the local government and only the grassroots leaders will take part in the polls, so the local leaders of both parties would communicate with each other on the issue,” he said.
Sources said, the BNP has taken the UP polls seriously to boost the morale of the leaders and activists at the grassroots level. The party wants to take part in all local government elections to stay in politics at the grassroots level, as they have no alternative to joining the elections.
Several monitoring committees and supervising teams will be formed to oversee the poll preparations. Lt General (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said that the BNP is attaching due importance to the UP polls in order to consolidate the party’s base at the grassroots level. According to him, the party candidates for the UP polls would be selected after taking into consideration the views of the union-and thana-level committees.
The party high command has asked grassroots leaders to select candidates on the basis of their popularity in their respective areas, and by consulting the grassroots leaders.
