Although BNP refuses to take part in the dialogue with the President regarding the formation of a new Election Commission, the party, however, is taking part in all the ongoing elections informally.
The party high-ups said that the dialogue will not yield any fruit.
According to sources, BNP men are taking part in all the ongoing elections of various local bodies informally. They are taking part in the election as independent candidates.
At present, BNP’s senior leader Taimur Alam Khandaker is also contesting the ongoing Narayanganj City Corporation as an independent candidate.
It should be mentioned that the BNP is always alleging that the present EC is not neutral and no elections are being held in a fair manner.
In such a circumstance, the BNP on Monday decided to refuse to join the dialogue with President Abdul Hamid over forming the new Election Commission even if the party is invited.
Party leaders said they made the decision as they believe the talks will not yield any fruit.
Upon the invitation of the president, the party may send a letter to him detailing why it will not join the talks and the overall political situation in the country. The BNP will also ask President Hamid to take initiatives to form a polls-time interim government to oversee the next general election, said party sources.
BNP Secretary General Mirza Fahkrul Islam Alamgir said, "We will not join the talks. Joining will mean nothing. We held talks twice earlier but we found those to be pointless."
Earlier the BNP standing committee, the highest policymaking body of the party, in a meeting on Monday unanimously decided that the party would not join the dialogue as it sees the initiative as "an attempt to snatch the people's voting rights".
BNP leaders said the president can hold talks but he cannot do anything without consultation with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and that's why participating in talks is nothing but “giving legitimacy to the process of forming the next EC.”
"The entire electoral system has been destroyed. In our political culture, a free and fair election is not possible under a partisan government. So, dialogues should be held on formation of a polls-time government," Fakhrul said.
The president on December 20 opened the talks with the registered political parties. The Jatiya Party, the main opposition in parliament, was the first party to join the dialogue.
Hamid has so far invited 14 parties to the dialogue.
A total of 39 political parties are registered with the EC and only nine of them have representation in the current parliament.
The tenure of the incumbent EC will expire on February 14 next year. According to the constitution, the new EC must be formed before the current one expires.