Bangladesh News

BNP is yet to begin the process of picking contenders in the upcoming parliamentary election through grassroots level party committees across the country in line with the electoral laws and its own constitution.

Party chief Khaleda Zia however said on Monday that they were completing preparations for the polls ‘despite uncertainties’.

Sources in the party said they need time to make polls preparations including selection of candidates as per proposals from grassroots committees. In such a situation, the party is demanding deferral of the polls beyond mid-January next, they added.

“We have not yet received any directive from the party high command to make panels of candidates in the parliamentary polls,” said Chowdhury Motahar Hossain, Naogaon district BNP leader.

Contacted over telephone yesterday, he said none of the local BNP leaders got any such directive.

As per the Representation of People Order (RPO), the BNP Parliamentary Board (BNPB) must nominate party candidates in the national election from the list prepared by the grassroots leaders.

According to the RPO, members of ward, union, thana, upazila and district committees of a party have to prepare jointly panels of prospective candidates for the constituencies concerned.

The BNP incorporated the mandatory RPO provision in its constitution to qualify for registstration with the EC.

So, the party cannot pick contenders from the parliamentary constituencies overnight without getting proposals from the grassroots leaders.

Registration of a political party may be cancelled for violation of the RPO provision.

Meanwhile, BNP’s arch rival Awami League (AL) on November 4 directed its grassroots committees to prepare such panels and send to the party’s parliamentary board by November 9. The board accepted the panels till November 10 as some of the grassroots committees could not meet the deadline.

Based on the panels, the AL finalised nominations for almost all the constituencies, and the party now says it is prepared for the poll.

The EC on Wednesday extended for three days till November 23 the time limit for filing nomination for the election.

And it appears that the EC has no way to extend the time limit again as the parliamentary polls are scheduled for December 18.

Against this backdrop, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain told reporters yesterday, “We need at least three weeks to complete preparations (for the polls) including filing of nominations.”

Contacted over telephone, BNP Standing Committee Member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said they want to participate in the upcoming polls. “But we need time to make preparations.”

Mohammad Shajahan, organising secretary of BNP, said yesterday the party high had command had directed grassroots leaders three to four months ago to prepare for the polls.