BNP will contest May 15 elections to Gazipur, Khulna city corporations

Despite having its doubts about fairness of polls under the incumbent Election Commission as well as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the BNP have decided to contest in the elections to Gazipur and Khulna city corporations.

Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the decision after a meeting of the senior leaders at Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on Sunday night.

He said they decided to nominate candidates for the May 15 civic polls to make their movement for Khaleda’s release ‘more dynamic’.

The former prime minister has been in jail since Feb 12 when a special court sentenced her to prison for five years for corruption in Zia Orphanage Trust.

Mirza Fakhrul said, “The most popular leader of Bangladesh is jailed on false charges. We’ve decided to contest in the election as part of the movement for her release to make it more dynamic.”

“Contesting in this election is part of our efforts to help maintain the democratic trend and preserve the people’s right to vote,” he added.

But the BNP leader said they have their doubts about whether the voting would be fair.

“The opposition parties are not allowed to exercise their minimum constitutional rights to go to the people and organise rallies. In such a situation, there is much doubt over the effectiveness of the elections,” he said.

He also said the acting chairman of the party, Tarique Rahman, and the members of the National Standing Committee will pick up the candidates for the polls.

Tarique addressed the meeting through a video call. Mirza Fakhrul said they discussed the current political situation and the movement for Khaleda’s release.

In the last elections to Gazipur City Corporation on July 6, 2013, BNP nominated Abdul Mannan and in Khulna City Corporation polls on June 15 the same year, Moniruzzaman Moni fought as the BNP candidate.

Both the BNP candidates won.