The BNP is making all-out preparations to contest in the upcoming Dhaka and Chittagong city polls. But they might also back out at the eleventh hour lacking a “congenial atmosphere.”
As contesting the polls is very crucial, the party has been cautiously observing the situation, especially the ruling party Awami League’s attitude towards the elections and the BNP-backed contenders.
Insiders said BNP has been trying to give an impression that it is in favour of elections, no matter what, but the point it wants to make is that elections must be free and fair.
However, there are also concerns that if they suspend their ongoing anti-government campaign for the city polls, the ruling party may then question what the BNP-Jamaat alliance had achieved from the three month-long street violence in which more than a hundred people have been killed.
There are also concerns that if they loosen their movement for the polls, the government’s repression on BNP leaders and activists may escalate just as had happened when things cooled down after the January 5 national elections in 2014.
Leaders said it was not time yet to take the government into a good account because opposition leaders and activists are still getting arrested.
“We will certainly put forward a set of conditions before participating in the [city] polls which could be: aspirants will have to be released and cannot be harassed; and a level-playing field should be created for fair polls,” said Mahbubur Rahman, a BNP policy maker.
“If these are not ensured, then there is no point contesting the polls,” he told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
The long overdue polls of the split Dhaka City Corporations and the Chittagong City Corporation are slated for the last week of April.
Emajuddin Ahamed, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University, told the Dhaka Tribune: “There are some problems. Many probable candidates, especially leaders from the Dhaka city unit, are either in jail or on the run. Nobody knows whether the government will allow them to campaign freely.”
The pro-BNP intellectual also said: “The Election Commission has to ensure a level-playing field, law enforcement agencies should act neutrally. All these can be ensured through talks and all parties must be ready to make compromises.
“There are chances that the government might suspend elections if they have information from intelligence agencies that the opposition-backed candidates are going to win.
“The BNP will certainly raise these issues for the sake fair elections because elections are the only way for measuring public opinion,” he said.
A senior BNP leader said the government has been continuously changing its strategy, so BNP should adopt one to outsmart its archrival.
“BNP’s strategy should be such that the government loses out if the elections are held or if they are suspended,” he said.
Currently the main political opposition, BNP has primarily selected businessman Abdul Awal Mintoo to run for mayor of Dhaka North. But Mintoo has been on the run with several cases against him since the transport blockade and hartals began in early January.
The Awami League has also officially backed a businessman, Annisul Huq, for this post.
For mayor of Dhaka South, the BNP is considering Dhaka city unit chief Mirza Abbas, also a former mayor of undivided Dhaka. But they are also keeping options open in case the Election Commission disqualifies Abbas.
The Awami League has backed Sayeed Khokon, son of Dhaka’s first elected mayor Mohammad Hanif, for Dhaka south.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s adviser Abdullah Al Noman is more or less certain to be backed for Chittagong mayor.
