Political activists on the grassroots level are gearing up for festive election mood, following the Election Commission’s announcement of upazila parishad poll at 215 upazilas in two phases.
Although the upazila parishad election is a non-party poll, the participation of both Awami League and BNP would partly fill up the desire for inclusive elections, voters from different districts said.
Local political leaders have been collecting nomination forms with hopes for a functional autonomous local government, local correspondents of the Dhaka Tribune also informed.
Insiders of the AL said they wanted the election to be fair like the earlier elections to different local autonomous bodies. Top AL leaders also said the staging of a transparent poll would create pressure for the BNP for not having participated in the national election.
However, BNP policymakers said there was no way to compare the national and local body election.
In some districts, local BNP leaders were confused about their party’s participation, but had been preparing themselves for the ballot battle.
Awami League has given instructions to the presidents and secretaries of district units through a letter signed by party General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam recently.
According to the Election Commission, the polls of 98 upazila parishads from 40 districts will be held on February 19.
Although dates for 102 upazilas were declared, problems were found about the delimitations of four upazilas in Rangpur.
The second phase of upazila election will be held in 117 upazilas from 52 districts on February 27.
BNP Standing Committee member Mahbubur Rahman confirmed about the party’s participation in the upcoming election and said they had decided to fulfill the local leaders’ desires, as it was a local body’s elections.
“We have some reservations about the Election Commission, but it is also decided from our party to be part of the election,” Mahbubur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Senior Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu said it was great news for national politics that BNP wanted to participate in the upazila parishad election, though they had missed the national election train.
“Though BNP chairperson has boycotted the last national ballot battle, I think now she has realised that she had made a great mistake, and now she is willing to take part in upazila poll,” Amu, also the industries minister, told the Dhaka Tribune over phone.
However, at a programme earlier in the day, Amu had said: “If Khaleda Zia wants to participate in upazila poll, she must accept the new government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”
Replying to the AL leader’s comment, Mahbubur Rahman said there was no way to think like that, adding: “They can say anything; but not to be part of the national election was not a mistake made by BNP. We have no regret about it.”
Today is the last day for filing the nomination for the first phase of upazila parishad election.
Meanwhile, reports from different correspondents suggest that BNP leaders were more active in some areas, compared to the election activities shown by the ruling party activists.
Our Barisal correspondent said 12 aspirants from the BNP purchased nomination forms in two upazilas of Barisal, while only two aspirants from the AL and Jatiya Party (Ershad) had collected nominations so far.
Bogra has also reportedly become festive with election mood following the announcement of the election schedule.
The BNP’s district unit Secretary Jainul Abedin Chan directed his party activists to be publicly active for the candidates, while the party’s district committee is set to select their candidates in a meeting today.
Mir Shahe Alam, incumbent chairman of Shibganj upazila and also the district BNP organizing secretary, said, lots of new aspirants have been found this year and it would be a colorful election.
Our Gopalganj correspondent said election hopefuls were holding meetings and attending cultural programs in different areas of Kashiani upazila
In Sirajganj, the AL supporters reportedly declared the local lawmaker Ishaque Hossain Talukder “unwelcome” in Rupganj upazila over disputes surrounding the selection of candidate. Ruling party men also blocked the Bogra-Nagarbary highway on Thursday as the lawmaker allegedly forcefully declared upazila AL President Almizi Zinnah as the candidate.