Defying the party’s decision, many leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) contested for various posts in Gazipur, Khulna, Barishal Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporation elections.
BNP high command warned anyone found breaching party orders to stay away from the city corporation polls would be expelled immediately. But, a total of 57 leaders-activists of BNP on Tuesday contested for different posts including councilor in Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporation election defying the party’s decision to boycott the polls, according to a report headlined ‘57 leaders contesting RCC, SCC polls’ published in this newspaper on Wednesday.
The BNP so far expelled a total of 114 of its leaders for their participation in five elections to Gazipur, Barishal, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet city corporations. The central command’s order to boycott city polls generated a mixed reaction from the grassroots level.
The party is getting derailed from the country’s mainstream politics day by day due to its frequent boycotting national and other polls, patron and nurture of communalism, extremism and anti-liberation forces. It did not take part in the 2014’s polls and also tried to run away from the 2018’s elections. But, later they took part in the polls after a lot of dramas.
The party must stop trying to create
unrestin the country making issue
over the caretaker government and
treatment of its convicted Chairperson
Begum Khaleda Zia
If BNP does not participate in the next parliamentary elections, it will fall in crisis of existence. Simultaneously, the party also became isolated from the mass people as it does not have representation in the present parliament.
Being party activists, supporters and leaders, they are also voters; so, prohibiting them from going to the polling stations is very unacceptable and unfortunate, the BNP leaders and activists think. As a result, the party’s firm determination to turn around and bring qualitative changes within the party, remain miles away mainly due to bitterness among the party ranks and files.
Country’s 12th general election will be held at the end of 2023 or the early 2024. To this end, the political parties have focused on strengthening the grassroots across the country by forming new committees in various organisational units.
But like in the past, the senior leaders of BNP this time also are telling that their party would not join any election under the current Awami League government, demanding a non-party neutral government system to ensure a what it says level-playing field for all in the next general elections. However, BNP must join the next general polls to sustain its existence as it does not have any option to boycott it. The party must stop trying to create unrest in the country making issue over the caretaker government and treatment of its convicted Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.
