AL not using party symbol in upazila polls to allure BNP grassroots: BNP leaders
Upazila parishad elections are expected to be held between April and May this year
Senior BNP leaders have alleged that the ruling Awami League's choice to abstain from utilising its electoral symbol, boat, in the upcoming upazila parishad election is a strategy to attract grassroots leaders and activists from the BNP to participate in the polls.
The BNP boycotted the 7 January national polls and remains adamant on its decision not to contest in any polls under the Awami League government.
Talking to The Business Standard, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, Nazrul Islam Khan said, "Only because the BNP boycotted the [national] elections and the people of the country did not go to the polling stations, the current government has resorted to trickery by deciding not to use the Awami League symbol [in local government polls]. Doing so, the government plans to allure BNP grassroots leaders and activists to the elections [as there will be no party seal]."
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"If anyone in the BNP disobeys the central decision and becomes a candidate [in the local govt polls], strict organisational measures will be taken against them."
Party symbols were first used in the country's upazila parishad elections in 2014 following an amendment to relevant law. Currently, as per the law, parties are allowed to field candidates with or without party symbols in the local government polls.
"The government could have amended the law [in parliament] but it did not do so," said Nazrul Islam Khan.
Another member of the BNP Standing Committee, Selima Rahman, told TBS that the results of any election under this government are controlled and predetermined by the government.
"The Awami League is violent by nature. In all past elections during their tenure, they rigged votes, assaulted opposition candidates, and forcefully occupied their polling centres," she said.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said if anyone in the BNP disobeys the central decision and becomes a candidate [in the local government polls], strict organisational measures will be taken against them.
On 22 January, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said his party would not use its electoral symbol during all local government elections.
According to Election Commissioner Md Alamgir, the commission plans to conduct the upcoming upazila parishad elections between April to May this year.
