Bangladesh News

In her first public appearance since being released on bail from detention on September 11, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia yesterday said her party will start its electoral preparations after the Eid-ul-Fitr.

“We will decide on a strategy for the election campaign in consultation with the leaders of the party as well as the four-party alliance,” she told reporters after an iftar gathering in the National Press Club auditorium jointly organised by factions of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ).

“I will sit in my new office at Banani and will start electoral activities after the Eid,” the former premier said with a smile.

Conveying Eid greetings to the people of the country, the BNP chairperson expressed her gratitude to those who worked for BNP through ‘the bad time’.

Leaders of BNP-led four-party alliance, some editors of newspapers, senior journalists, leaders of the National Press Club, BFUJ and DUJ, and of other organisations of professionals were present at the iftar.

Meanwhile, four-party alliance leaders are scheduled to meet today to discuss issues related to the upcoming parliamentary election, said alliance insiders.

The Election Commission’s (EC) latest decision to ease party registration criteria and the dates for upazila elections will also come into discussion, said a BNP leader adding that the alliance might declare its decision regarding the parliamentary election today after the meeting.

Besides discussing their preparations for the election, the alliance leaders might also announce demonstrations for realising their demands for lifting of the emergency, deferring of the upazilla election dates, and release of all detained political leaders.

“We will discuss our preparations and participation in the election,” Islami Okyo Jote Secretary General Abdul Latif Nezami told The Daily Star yesterday.

BNP Secretary Genreal Khandaker Delwar Hossain will preside over the alliance meeting in his Nam flat in the capital at 11:00am.

On September 23, after a meeting with the EC, BNP leader MK Anwar told reporters that BNP will get registered with the EC under the new electoral provisions and contest in the December 18 parliamentary poll. But just three hours later, he recanted his statement claiming it had been his personal opinion, not a party decision.

Party insiders said outcome of the meeting between MK Anwar-led BNP delegation and the EC will also be discussed in today’s alliance meeting and a formal announcement regarding their participation in the poll might also follow.

Asked about the meeting’s agenda, alliance component Bangladesh Jatiya Party’s (BJP) Chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho told The Daily Star that they will discuss the latest political situation as well as issues related to the upcoming general election.

“We already raised the demands for lifting the emergency and for deferring the upazila elections,” he said.

Khaleda Zia will exchange Eid greetings with people from all walks of life in the Ladies Club at Eskaton Garden in the capital on the Eid day.