“The BNP will not pull out of the Narayanganj polls,” party leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi asserted on Wednesday.
In 2011, the BNP announced the boycott only a few hours before the voting was to begin, against the will of their candidate Taimur Alam Khandaker.
At that time, the party had pointed out the government's refusal to meet its demand for army deployment as the reason behind the boycott.
The same demand has been made by the party and refused again by the authorities this time, sparking the rumour.
Moreover, two years ago, the BNP-backed mayoral candidates of Dhaka North and South, and Chittagong City Corporations pulled out of the race halfway through the voting day alleging rigging.
The ruling Awami League leaders have said the BNP is looking for excuses again to boycott the Narayanganj polls and making the election questionable.
"We are getting news that government agents have been spreading a rumour that the 'paddy sheaf' candidate Advocate Sakhawat Hossain Khan will step aside from the elections within 11am on the voting day," Rizvi told reporters.
"We want to firmly state that it is a rumour. The government is spreading rumour because it is confused, frustrated and insane," he claimed.
The BNP senior joint secretary general urged the voters not to pay heed to the rumour.
"I, on behalf of the BNP, am giving the voters complete reassurance that Sakhawat Hossain Khan will stay in the race until the end and return home after getting the people's mandate by foiling all threats," he added.
The BNP leader said Sakhawat was contesting the polls with an 'unwavering’ spirits and commitment.
