Dhaka: BNP has demanded that the Election Commission withdraw some 55 cases filed against its leaders and activists after the announcement of the election scheduled for the ‘sake of a fair and acceptable election’.

In a letter sent to Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda on Wednesday, it also demanded immediate release of 529 people, including five BNP nomination seekers, who were arrested in connection with the 55 cases, reports the UNB.

BNP submitted the letter, signed by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, on behalf of the 20-party alliance and Jatiya Oikyafront.

BNP central office officer Md Salahuddin Khan handed over the letter to EC Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed.

It was also mentioned in the letter that whereabouts of one of the five nomination seekers still remained unknown.

According to the letter, the five who were arrested by police are BNP hopeful from Bagerhat-4 constituency Ibrahim Hossain, BNP’s village affairs secretary and Gaibandha-2 nomination seeker Anisuzzaman Khan Babu, former vice-president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and aspirant from Netrakona-2 Anwarul Haque Royal, joint general secretary of Dhaka South city BNP and aspirant from Dhaka-10 parliamentary seat Sheikh Robiul Alam Robi and Jashore district BNP vice-president and nomination seeker from Jashore-6 Abu Bakar Abu.

Even after the submission of the list of the arrested BNP leaders and activists to the EC twice, the law enforcement agencies are still desperate, the letter said. ‘Even, they (police) are producing BNP leaders and activists before the court keeping them under their custody for several days after their arrest,’ the letter reads.