Dhaka: Though the party has disagreement about holding the upcoming Union Council (UC) election along party line, Bangladesh Nationalist Party has announced to join it as part of the party’s movement strategy.

BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement at a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office on Friday.

‘The chances of having peaceful elections have now been exiled. Though there’s a possibility of snatching people’s voting rights amid continued serious suppression and repression across the country, BNP will join the upcoming union parishad polls as part of its movement,’ he said.

The BNP leader said they also decided that they will nominate their candidates for the polls following the recommendations of their top five grassroots leaders. ‘Regarding the nomination for the UC polls, five leaders— Union Council unit party president, general secretary, and organising secretary, upazila unit party president and general secretary— will recommend centre a candidate for approval.’  

The Election Commission (EC) has a plan to hold the upcoming countrywide Union Council polls in 6 to 7 phases starting in March next under party line.

On Thursday, the EC announced that the first phase of elections to 752 UCs will be held on 22 March.

Rizvi said their party thinks the election along party line in local bodies, including UC one, may damage social bonds at grassroots level. ‘Political violence and conflict may spread to families, villages and localities following such polls.’

He also said their party also believes that the EC at the behest of the government has taken the ‘illogical and untimely’ decision of holding the UC polls under party line in a bid to push the democratic march towards a wrong way.

Earlier in the day, BNP standing committee member Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman at a discussion said though their party is in doubt about fair polls in the upcoming UC polls, BNP will join it as they did in other local bodies’ polls.

‘BNP is not an anti-election party. We’ll participate in the polls. But, we’re in doubt whether that election will be free, fair and impartial as people know it know what happened to people’s voting rights in the election held earlier,’ he said.

The BNP leader came up with the remarks while speaking at a discussion at Photo Journalists Association arranged by Bangladesh Sangskritik Academy, marking its 14th founding anniversary.

He emphasised making the Election Commission stronger for ensuring credible polls. ‘During election in India, the Chief Election Commissioner becomes more powerful than their Prime Minister. But, the Election Commission in our country is subservient.’