The party is also likely to pick three heavyweight candidates – the BNP chairperson’s adviser and former FBCCI president Abdul AwalMintoo for Dhaka North, former minister and Dhaka mayor and the BNP’s standing committee member Mirza Abbas for Dhaka South and the BNP chairperson’s adviser in Chittagong and former commerce minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury for Chittagong.
However, the BNP leadership is still in a dilemma over three fundamental questions pertaining to the elections.
Firstly, if the party suddenly joins the city corporation elections after the continuous programmes of blockade and hartal,what impact will this have on the movement? Secondly, if the party-nominated candidates do join the electoral race, will they, especially the ward councillor candidates, be able to carry out their campaigns? Thirdly, even if they win the elections conducted by this government, will it be of any use?
Despite all these dilemmas, an important source informed ProthomAlo that the BNP has more or less finalised the names of the three city mayoral candidates.
Still, as there are apprehensions about Mirza Abbas, an alternative is being sought. Earlier standing committee member Gaeswar Chandra Roy and joint secretary general BarkatUllahBulu were considered as candidates, but this was dropped as none of them is a voter of that area. However, the matter of candidature is still at an informal stage.
Several leader of the BNP have said the dilemma and concern within the BNP is basically over the possible mayor and councillor candidates in the election.
Many of the potential candidates have been arrested and are behind bars. Many of them are in hiding due to cases filed against them. That is why there are apprehensions as to whether the qualified persons will be able to contest in the election or be able to campaign freely.
The BNP’s standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan told ProthomAlo, “Even if a decision is taken to join the election, the question remains whether the candidates will be able to campaign freely. Many of the potential candidates are in jail and many of those who will campaign for them are also in jail. Many can’t come out into the open because of the cases against them. So how can we contest in the election?”
A BNP leader has said, “Now we have to see what the election commission does. It won’t be a level playing field if the ruling party candidates freely go about with their campaigning, while we have to remain in hiding.”
The BNP earlier had taken part in local government (city corporation) elections under this government. The BNP’s mayoral candidates won in those elections in Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Barisal and Gazipur.
The party leaders complain that the elected people’s representatives could not function freely. The government has filed cases against three of the five elected mayors. Two of them are incarcerated. One is hiding to avoid arrest.
Nazrul Islam Khan pointed out these matters in an interview with the BBC on Saturday. He said, “A large number of our upazila chairman and municipal mayors have been changed. They have either been arrested or warrants have been issued against them so that they can’t perform their duties. They have been expelled and ruling party persons appointed in their stead.”
Then there is the question about what impact participation in the polls will have on the ongoing movement. Nazrul Islam Khan said, this question will arise when we go to the polls.
There are two schools of thought within BNP over participation in the elections. While some leaders openly support participation in the polls, the opposition to it is not visible as yet. The matter is being mulled over by the two sides.
Nazrul Islam Khan said, “It is true that some are interested in the elections and other are against it. What is the point in contesting in polls under this government? The matter is being discussed, but no final decision has been taken. Hopefully the matter will be decided shortly.”
Source: Prothom-Alo
