BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will conduct two days' extensive campaign in the capital next week for her party-backed mayoral and councillor candidates, insiders said. 

“She [Khaleda] is likely to campaign in Dhaka North City Corporation areas on April 25 and in Dhaka South the following day,” said Mahfuz Ullah, a steering committee member of pro-BNP citizen platform Adarsha Dhaka Andolan. 

Khaleda, however, will not visit Chittagong as the party and the citizen body think it will hamper the last-minute campaigning of M Manjur Alam, the BNP's mayoral candidate in the port city, insiders added.  

The cut-off time for the electioneering is April 26 midnight.  

“We have assessed that the BNP-backed mayoral candidate in the port city is in a better position than his rival Nasir Uddin of Awami League. That's why we have advised the BNP high-ups that the chairperson need not visit Chittagong,” said a top organiser of Adarsha Dhaka Andolan, a consultant group for BNP's electioneering.

One of Khaleda's aides said the BNP chief might take with her the wives of M Ilias Ali, Salahuddin Ahmed and other BNP leaders who went missing in recent times.

Asked about the delay in Khaleda's joining the campaign, an Adarsha Dhaka Andolan leader said it was because of Dhaka South's mayoral candidate Mirza Abbas as “we have been waiting for his bail from High Court”.

“But if he [Abbas] does not secure bail by April 25, the BNP chief will campaign in Dhaka South for him taking with his wife and children.”

Possibly, Abbas will get bail when there will be no time left for campaigning, he added. 

Afroza Abbas, wife of Mirza Abbas, last night visited Awami League-backed candidate Sayeed Khokon's Bangshal residence during her electioneering in the area. However, Khokon was not home. 

Senior BNP leader Hannan Shah, chief campaign coordinator for Abbas, yesterday alleged that the Election Commission is yet to establish a level playing field despite their repeated appeals.

“The Election Commission paid no heed to our allegations that pro-ruling party men have been obstructing our election campaign,” he said during a press briefing at the party's Naya Paltan central office.

Eight sub-committees were formed yesterday to carry out electioneering for Abbas and monitor polls activities, Hannan added.

Moudud Ahmed, another senior leader and chief campaign coordinator for Dhaka North's mayoral candidate Tabith Awal, yesterday at a separate press briefing said the city elections will be an acid test for the EC as well as for the government.