Awami League leaders and workers, whose activities are prohibited in the election rules finalized by the Election Commission (EC), also have the opportunity to be candidates in the local government elections. BNP leaders are of two minds about this. Some of them are somewhat flexible, but cautious about the possible participation of Awami League leaders and workers. However, other leaders say that the leaders and workers of Awami League, who are rejected by the people, have no chance to be candidates in the elections.
Meanwhile, the BNP is also preparing for the success of the 13th National Assembly elections and is also deciding the strategy for the local government elections. Emphasis is placed on evaluation of quitters, resolution of internal conflicts to avoid ‘rebellious candidates’. Jamaat-e-Islami and Jatiya Nagrik Party (NCP)’s preparations for local elections have created some uneasiness among BNP leaders.
The government has given a glimpse of local government elections by the end of this year. Recently in the National Parliament, Local Government Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the government plans to complete the elections of 13 city corporations of the country including Union Parishad (UP), Municipalities, Upazila Parishads, Zilla Parishads and the newly formed Bogra City Corporation within the next one year. These elections will be held in a phased manner based on the availability of budget, with the UP elections likely to be the first.
After such a glimpse, the political parties have started preparing for the elections internally. The Election Commission has also started preparations. As part of this, the election rules have been finalized. There is no provision in these rules to exclude any party from the election. The rules allow anyone who is eligible to be a candidate in this election without party symbol. This provision of the rules is being considered as an opportunity for Awami League leaders and workers to enter the field in the elections.
According to EC sources, the proposal of the rules stipulated that prospective candidates should sign an undertaking prepared by the EC to the effect that they have no affiliation with any political party or organization subject to ban or ban. This provision was not included in the EC’s finalized regulations. The finalized rules are yet to be passed. After UP, the rules for municipal, upazila, zilla parishad and city corporation elections will also be finalized as per the new law. In that case, the same provision will be maintained for eligibility to be a candidate.
As the activities of Awami League, which was ousted in the July 2024 mass coup, were banned, the party’s leaders and workers are not in the field publicly. Once these rules finalized by the EC are passed, anyone who is eligible will have the opportunity to be a candidate in the local elections. It is not certain how many Awami League leaders and workers will take that opportunity in this non-partisan election. Many political analysts think that many local people will not enter the field because people’s perception about Awami League has not changed. There can be a handful of candidates.
BNP leaders have two views on the possibility of Awami League leaders and activists to be candidates in local elections. One side is somewhat flexible but careful about this. A leader who played a role in the policy-making stage of BNP told this newspaper, “BNP has no problem if it wants to become a representative of the people in order to strengthen the local government. No obstacle will be given. But the thought of dirty politics should be left out.’ He warned that if someone tries to spread Awami League’s political activities or party influence in the election field, it may backfire.
However, a large part of BNP leaders do not see the opportunity of Awami League leaders and workers to become candidates. According to them, Awami League leaders have no real chance to participate in local elections. In the current post-coup situation, their attempts to come to the polls are unrealistic or desperate. Most of the leaders and activists of Awami League are now rejected by the people and are condemned by the people. Many leaders and activists from the top of the party to the local level are accused in various cases and are in hiding. In this situation, if someone from Awami League tries to participate in the election by force or by different tactics, the election environment may be disrupted.
In response to the question of how the BNP sees the opportunity for leaders of Awami League’s clean image to participate in the elections, Syed Emran Saleh Prince, joint secretary general of the party, told Ajker newspaper, ‘Awami League has rotted from head to toe. There are people with a clean image—we don’t see that. There is no good or acceptable leadership left in Awami League.’
Meanwhile, after the national elections, BNP policymakers fear complications with the ‘rebel candidate’ in the local elections as well. In this situation, they are making a strategy to avoid internal conflicts and the complications of rebel candidates, besides strengthening the organization at the field level.
According to BNP sources, to avoid ‘rebel candidates’ in the top posts in the local government elections, the leaders of the party who have sacrificed for a long time and have a clean image will get the highest priority for getting the party nomination. After the showdown of potential candidates in the last Qurbani Eid, the responsible leaders are making various calculations at the field level. The work of gathering information from the grassroots to confirm a single candidate is also going on in full swing.
Several leaders who played a role in the policy-making stage of BNP said that those who sacrificed on the streets during the fascist period and those who are popular in the area will be highly valued. Since BNP is in government, many potential candidates are currently active in the field. However, to avoid conflict, the party wants to finalize a single candidate before the election date is fixed.
Despite no official message from the Centre, potential candidates have started campaigning unannounced through poster-festoons and social activities in their respective areas. Many of the party administrators appointed in the city corporation have started election preparations. Administrator of Barisal City Corporation and Barisal Divisional Organizing Secretary of BNP Bilkis Akhter Jahan Shirin said, ‘I am preparing for the election. Working to gain people’s trust. I hope I will be evaluated by the team.’
Mohammad Moniruzzaman, a potential councilor candidate for Ward No. 24 of Dhaka North City Corporation and a local youth leader, said, ‘I am standing by the common man’s dangers and making preparations in advance. I hope the team will evaluate me.
Meanwhile, it is said that there is discomfort in BNP with the advance preparation of potential candidates of the rival parties. Analyzing the situation at the field level, many of the responsible leaders of BNP said on condition of anonymity that the advance preparations of Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP have made BNP somewhat uncomfortable. Jamaat has started working on the field almost a year ago by finalizing the candidates. On the contrary, as more than one eligible candidate of BNP has started the fight in almost every area, some kind of disunity or ambivalence has been created among the workers.
A central leader of BNP said that if ‘rebel candidates’ and internal conflicts can be prevented and if the leaders and workers can be united, it will be easy to ensure the victory of BNP in the local government elections as well.
