BNP chief Khaleda Zia to meet 20-party Alliance leaders on Thursday

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will meet leaders of the alliance led by her party on Thursday before deciding on whether to take part in the upcoming municipal polls.

The meeting with 20-party Alliance leaders is scheduled for 9pm at her Gulshan office on Thursday, BNP Assistant Office Secretary Shamimur Rahman told bdnews24.com.

On Wednesday, she had a meeting with senior leaders of her party , the first  after returning from London, which discussed about the polls in 236 municipalities. 

A BNP leader says that most of the leaders wanted the party to participate in the polls slated for Dec 30.

They, however, left it to the party chief to take the final decision.

The BNP had boycotted the 10th national election last year but had fielded candidates at all the local government elections held since then.

After a ‘failed’ movement for a snap election under an ‘impartial administration’, it had taken part in the Dhaka and Chittagong city corporation polls in April this year.

But it had boycotted them midway , complaning of large scale rigging.

In the municipal elections, politicians will, for the first time, contest for Mayor positions with party symbols, as happens in parliament elections, following the amendment to the local government election law.

But, the candidates for the posts of councillors will have to use non-party symbols in the election.