'No point urging BNP to contest'

Awami League leader Mohammad Nasim sees no point urging the BNP to join the national election.

“There is no point on asking the BNP to participate in the elections. She (BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia) is now desperate to implement the agenda of Jamaat-Shibir-Hifazat,” he said on Thursday.

The Awami League Presidium Member called on all pro-liberation forces to take part in the polls and flayed the violence during the Opposition's shutdown.

“At a time when Prime Minister is celebrating the attainment of 10,000MW power generation capacity, the Opposition Leader is celebrating by burning people.”

He alleged the BNP leaders had been moving around in their vehicles during the shutdown.

He said they had seen on TV that the BNP leaders and teachers’ leaders attending a meeting called by Khaleda Zia riding posh cars.

He said they did not face any obstacles, while those who ran buses were burnt.

Khaleda Zia went to her Gulshan office on Wednesday night after the end of the Opposition’s 84-hour general strike.

Many party leaders and BNP-backed teachers met her there.

Earlier, Nasim attended a meeting between Oikya National Awami Party (NAP) leaders of 14-Party alliance at the Awami League chief’s Dhanmondi office.

Oikya NAP President Pankaj Bhattachariya said they wanted a change in power in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

“We might have differences of opinion, but now there is no alternative now but to be united in the interest of the nation.”