Awami League has brought arms and activists for Dhaka polls: BNP

The BNP has dismissed allegations brought by the Awami League that the opposition party is gathering “outsiders” for the elections to the two city corporations in Dhaka.

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, a member of the BNP’s National Standing Committee, in a counter-allegation said it was the Awami League which was bringing arms and goons from outside the capital for the ballot.

Speaking at a news conference at the home of the BNP’s mayor candidate in the South Ishraque Hossain on Wednesday, he refuted the allegations brought by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader earlier in the day.

“It is the Awami League that has brought arms and three million activists from outside [Dhaka],” claimed Mosharraf.

“This is simply ridiculous. Who does not know that the BNP candidates and activists are unable to stay home because of police raids?” he said, dismissing the allegations brought by Quader.

“It’s quite impossible for us to bring activists and arms from outside. We haven’t done it,” Mosharraf said.

“We know for a fact that the Awami League has done it,” the convenor of the BNP’s election governing committee in the South said.

“Their [Awami League’s] activists have the courage to bring arms because police will take no action against them. They had done this in the past. And Mr Obaidul Quader has the habit of making us scapegoats. I strongly condemn this,” he added.