After hinting that it might participate in upcoming municipal elections, the BNP is struggling to prepare a possible candidate list because so many of its grass-roots leaders are either on the run or behind bars, party insiders said.
Continuing arrests of its grass-roots leaders and activists have cast doubt on the fairness of the coming elections, they said.
Although the party boycotted the January 5 parliamentary elections, it participated in local government elections.
“This time the situation is different. We are yet to reorganise the party. Many of our leaders are on the run and many are being arrested every day. Despite all this, we should participate in the elections,” a senior party leader, seeking anonymity, said.
“If we leave the field unchallenged, the party will suffer politically and local level leaders will be demoralised,” he said.
A mid-ranking party leader claimed “hundreds” of the party’s grass-roots leaders and activists had been arrested in daily mass arrest drives by the police ahead of the polls.
He said BNP members facing cases, behind bars or on the run would not be candidates.
Since local government elections will be contested on partisan lines for the first time ever, district committee leaders and local former lawmakers will finalise the candidate lists, they said.
On Thursday BNP spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon alleged that the government was conspiring to hold the elections without any contest.
He said his party doubts that fair elections can be guaranteed by the incumbent Election Commission.
Party insiders said BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, who is now in London, has not given any direction to the party on participating in the polls.
BNP standing committee member Moudud Ahmed on November 7 told reporters that his party would not leave seats uncontested.
Mohammad Shahjahan, joint secretary general of the party, said: “When our leader [Khaleda Zia] returns to Bangladesh, a decision on participating in the elections will be taken. We are taking pre-election preparations so that we can avoid last minute complications.”
Source: Dhaka Tribune
