The BNP is reportedly planning to nominate a candidate to contest the race to succeed Annisul Huq as Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) mayor.
A source from the BNP chairperson’s office says the party has a different plan this time for handing out the nomination for the by-polls.
There is a possibility BNP may coordinate with other parties outside the ruling Awami League to pick a candidate as a show of national unity.
“The plan will be presented before party chief Khaleda Zia after BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir returns from China,” the source said.
Several BNP leaders said Khaleda could take into consideration several facts as the DNCC mayor’s post has fallen vacant following the sudden death from illness of Annisul Huq.
The political scenario has also changed since Huq was swept into office in the 2015 election.
A senior standing committee member said the party would finalize a candidate after first reading the Awami League’s position. “There are tactics in picking a candidate. Many names would be discussed before that,” he said.
In the 2015 polls, the BNP backed young businessman Tabith Awal to contest against Annisul.
A BNP vice-chairman said Tabith had done well in the previous election but when contacted, Tabith told this correspondent that he was “out of the country” and was mourning mayor Annisul’s death. “The time now is for grieving,” he said.
A BNP source said party Vice-Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo and his family members’ appearance in the Paradise Papers scandal could impact the party’s candidate selection.
Apart from Mintoo, his wife Nasreen Fatema Awal, sons Tabith Md Awal, Tafsir Mohammed Awal, and Tajwar Muhammed Awal were all named in the papers.
However, Mintoo said the selection of a candidate “would not be an issue” if the BNP decided to contest the by-polls.
“What matters most is what the party is thinking. The party’s decision will be final,” he said, adding that it was not an appropriate time to talk about election since Annisul Huq had passed away recently.
A source at the BNP chairperson’s office said that the discussion over candidate selection was yet to start.
“Judging by the mood at the office it looks like some form of national unity will be reflected in the choice for candidate for the DNCC by-election,” the source said.
BNP Vice-Chairman Abdullah Al Noman said there had not been any discussion.
“We can’t really say what will happen,” he said. “The matter can be discussed after the party’s policymakers sit but since the BNP has contested local government polls, it can be said that the party will take part in the DNCC polls.”
Asked if the selection of candidate would reflect national unity, Noman said: “Unity is a strategic matter. Unity is a formula of compromise. I am not sure if the BNP will go for it.”
Another senior leader of the party said Tabith could be nominated again, but said there could be other developments given the changed situation.
“The environment has changed. The government can no longer organize polls forcefully and snatch victory so there will certainly be new things in the [party’s] plan,” the senior leader said.
BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsuzzaman Dudu said no discussion had been initiated within the party about the DNCC by-polls.
“The previous candidate (Tabith) did well. However, we cannot say anything for sure about the new initiative,” he said. “There could be a reflection of national unity, but no one can say for sure. The discussion will start within a day or two.”
Several standing committee members of the party said they believed Secretary General Fakhrul would broach the subject with Khaleda when he meets her after returning from China on Monday.
About selecting the candidate, BNP nomination board and standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said: “Mayor Annisul has passed away recently. It will look bad if we rush with these things. Let the Election Commission announce schedule and then we will start working [on picking candidate].”
Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said no discussion on nominating a candidate had started.
“First the [by-polls] schedule will be announced, then, there will discussion within the party. Only then can we say who will be the party’s pick,” he said.
This article was first published on Bangla Tribune