Bikalpadhara Bangladesh, led by former president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury, is likely to join the BNP-led by 18-party opposition alliance.
The party may make an announcement to this end at a press conference to be held at the National Press Club today, several leaders of the party confirmed on Monday, speaking to the Dhaka Tribune.
Sources said the decision was finalised after Mahi B Chowdhury, organising secretary of Bikalpadhara and son of B Chowdhury, had several meetings with top leaders of BNP over the course of the last few months.
Bikalpadhara sources said the party was uncomfortable with contesting the upcoming elections with its “winnowing-fan” symbol, as it failed to get any seats in the last election held in December 2008. They would prefer to contest the polls under BNP’s “sheaf of paddy” (Dhaner Shish) symbol as they think it would assure them a few seats.
B Chowdhury’s Press Secretary Jahangir Alam told the Dhaka Tribuneon Monday : “The press conference will remove all confusion regarding the party’s stance on BNP and the anti-government movement.”
B Chowdhury, the BNP’s founding secretary general, was elected president in 2002. He had to resign after few months following pressure from the party, as he did not visit BNP founder, Ziaur Rahman’s grave on the occasion of his anniversary of death.
He established Bikalpadhara in April 2004 after his son also resigned from BNP. Later he joined hands with another disgruntled founding BNP member Oli Ahmed and floated the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in October 2006.
The “political marriage” between B Chowdhury and Oli did not last long and they parted ways the next year. Oli Ahmed is now leading the LDP which is part of the 18-party opposition alliance.
In the December 2008 polls, B Chowdhury and Oli were not accommodated in the AL-led grand alliance.