Wary BNP announces their participation in Khulna, Gazipur city polls

BNP has decided to participate in the upcoming elections to the Khulna and Gazipur city corporations. However, the senior leaders doubt that their candidates may not be able to campaign on a level playing field without harassment. The party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a press briefing held at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office on Sunday evening after an emergency meeting. A number of senior leaders – including members from the National Standing Committee, the chairperson's Advisory Council, members at the joint secretary general and organizing secretary levels –had attended the two-hour-long meeting. Fakhrul said acting BNP chief Tarique Rahman also participated in the meeting through video conference and gave consent for taking part in the polls. The country, right now, had no environment to hold a democratic election and to choose one's own candidates, Fakhrul said, alleging that the opposition party was not allowed to exercise their political rights and organize rallies. “Under the circumstances, we doubt how much free and fair the election will be and how much they [the government]will allow the opposition party to campaign for their candidates,” he said adding that they were yet to choose candidates. BNP Standing Committee members would discuss the matter of choosing candidates with the acting chairperson after taking suggestions from local leaders, Fakhrul said. The announcement came just one day after Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda said that polls to the Khulna and Gazipur city corporations would be held on May 15. According to the election schedule, the deadline for the submission of nomination papers in both cities is April 12, after which the papers would be scrutinized on April 15 and 16. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 23. After the announcement, BNP leaders denied commenting on participation in the polls, saying they were yet to decide as their chairperson, Khaleda Zia, was still behind bars. However, several leaders said BNP is considering it given the pressure from their grassroots level leaders and activists, and the government’s possible role centring the elections.