Senior leaders of the ruling Awami League think that the ongoing political violence occurred during blockades and hartals enforced by the BNP-led 20-party alliance since January 6 may stop if the BNP decides to take part in the upcoming city elections.
Presidium member Tofail Ahmed yesterday said the elections could be an “exit point” for the BNP to return to fair politics shunning the path of violence and sabotage.
“The BNP should grab the opportunity to end the movement by contesting in the elections,” he told reporters at the Secretariat. The commerce minister also hoped that the BNP would join the 2019 parliamentary election too.
The 20-party-backed candidates won in the five city corporation elections in mid 2013 but they boycotted the January 5 election as they had demanded polls under a non-partisan administration.
Senior leader Obaidul Quader yesterday said they were ready to accept any result in the city polls.
“The BNP should join the polls...The government will not influence the elections. It will be held in a free and fair atmosphere. Nobody will be allowed to create any obstacle. If we fail, we will welcome the results,” he added.
Elections to Dhaka and Chittagong will be held on April 28. Candidates backed by the ruling party, HM Ershad-led Jatiya Party and the Communist Party of Bangladesh already collected nomination papers for the two mayoral posts in Dhaka. The AL has also nominated its candidate in Chittagong.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia recently hinted positively about joining the polls but her party has not chosen candidates.
The BNP should contest the polls since it has popularity and that the elections should not go unchallenged, party’s policymaker Mahbubur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune.
Prof Emajuddin Ahamed, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said the city polls could be a great opportunity to end the confrontational situation. “However, the government should remember that they should not harass the BNP candidates.”
