The main opposition BNP has applied to the Election Commission seeking eight more months to hold the party’s national council, saying that BNP is unable to hold the council because of police attacks on its party headquarters and because many of its leaders were in jail.
BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi submitted an application to the Additional Secretary of EC Sirazul Islam at the EC secretariat on Tuesday.
Rizvi told reporters that BNP had sought time till May 31 next year, for electing its national executive committee through the national council.
“We have written in detail why BNP cannot hold its national council. We would hold our party national council when the situation is normal,” he added.
Rizvi said it would not be possible for the party to hold its national council in a short time, as many important documents and computer data were destroyed during police attacks on the BNP headquarters, while many BNP leaders remained in jail and had to appear before the court in different cases.
However, he said as per the party charter, BNP has to hold its national council every three years and submit the names of its new executive committee members to the EC.
The BNP elected its existing national executive committee during the party’s national council in December 2009. The party is yet to hold a new national council, although more than a year had passed since its stipulated time.
