Dhaka: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also president of Awami League, of violating municipal election rules.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, ‘When the head of the government herself has indulges in election irregularities, then there’s no scope to hold free and fair polls.’

He brought the allegation at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.

As per the municipal election rules, Fakhrul said, the leader of a party who has been entrusted with the authority to give party’s nomination to mayoral candidates will give the returning officer of every municipality a letter mentioning the name of a party candidate.

But, Fakhrul said, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, who was given the authority to nominate party contestants, sent letters to returning officers of Shariatpur Sadar municipality, Barguna’s Betagi, Khulna’s Paikgachha and Magura Sadar municipalities mentioning the names of more than one person as the ruling party candidates, violating the rules.

‘Awami League had first nominated Rafiqul Islam as its candidate for Shariatpur municipality. Later, after the expiry of the deadline for nominating candidates, the party on 7 December sent another letter to the returning officer nominating another person, Farroque Ahmed, as its candidate cancelling previous one. The Awami League chief who is the chief executive and the head of the government signed the letter.

‘It’s completely contrary to the rules and illegal,’ he said.

The BNP acting secretary general also alleged that the returning officers will accept the nomination of a person from a party in each municipality as per the municipal election rules.

Referring to newspaper reports, Fakhrul said, ‘We’ve read in the newspapers that the returning officer concerned in Shariatpur said they informed the Election Commission about the change in the candidate. It means the EC has accepted the two nomination letters.’

Replying to question, he said their allegation is mainly against the Election Commission as to why it did not cancel the nomination papers where two candidates of a party were nominated.

The BNP leader alleged that the ruling party men attacked the house of Feni BNP president Advocate Abu Taher and locked his house confining his wife and mother. ‘His offence is he appealed against the cancellation of the nomination papers of BNP candidate in Feni municipality.’