AL conspiring to hinder BNP’s victory in city polls: Fakhrul

Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday alleged that ruling Awami League has been conspiring to hamper their party’s victory in the coming elections to two Dhaka city corporations, reports UNB.

“As Awami League has become politically bankrupt, it’s now conspiring to thwart BNP’s victory in the two city polls in various ways,” he said.

Fakhrul was talking to newsmen after offering fateha at the grave of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s younger son Arafat Rahman Koko at Banani Graveyard, marking his fifth death anniversary.

He also alleged that the ruling party is attacking their party candidates and their supporters physically to force them to quit the city elections race. “They’re hatching various plots to keep us away from the elections.”

The BNP leader said no-one will be able to prevent the victory of their mayoral candidates, Tabith Awal and Ishraque Hossain, as there has been a mass wave in favour of the ‘paddy sheaf’, their party’s election symbol.

Fakhrul further said Arafat Rahman Koko met a premature death because of political reasons though he was not involved in politics. “He had been subjected to both physical and psychological repressions out of political vengeance (of the government).”

He prayed for salvation of the departed soul of Koko.

BNP senior leaders and its two mayoral candidates Tabith and Ishraque were present there.

Later, the two BNP candidates offered fateha at the grave of Annisul Huq, the late mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), at the Banani Graveyard.

They prayed for the eternal peace of Annisul’s departed soul.

Annisul was elected DNCC mayor with Awami League’s ticket in April 2015 defeating Tabith Awal. BNP had boycotted that election halfway through.