Without making any formal announcement, the BNP yesterday entered the polls battle to take on its rival Awami League in the Dhaka and Chittagong city elections.

Abdul Awal Mintoo, an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and Abdus Salam, treasurer of the party, collected nomination papers, to join the mayoral race in the capital's two city corporations.

In Dhaka North City Corporation, Mintoo's main challenger will be businessman Annisul Huq, who has been endorsed by the ruling AL.

Salam, who was a city BNP leader for many years, will face AL-sponsored candidate Sayeed Khokon, son of late mayor Mohammad Hanif, in Dhaka South City Corporation.

In line with the BNP strategy, pro-BNP professionals in Chittagong at a press conference last evening announced that they would back M Manjur Alam Manju, the incumbent port city mayor, to stand up to the AL-picked contender AZM Nasir. 

Under the banner of Chittagong Development Movement (CDM), they will work for Manju in the city polls, said Prof Abul Kalam Azad, a pro-BNP teacher at Chittagong University. 

In the 2010 Chittagong city polls, the CDM with BNP support worked for Manju, who defeated AL-backed ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury by a huge margin. 

BNP DELEGATION MEETS CEC

In Dhaka, a delegation of pro-BNP professionals went to the Election Commission to place a set of demands.

The delegation met the chief election commissioner and demanded that the EC extend the deadline for filing nominations by two or three days.

According to the polls schedule, the last date for filing nominations is March 29.

After the meeting, CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad hinted that the deadline would not be extended.

"The election schedule has been settled after much analysis and scrutiny. Sufficient time has been given for every stage from filing nomination to voting day," he told reporters.

The CEC added the delegation requested the commission to hold the elections in a free and fair manner.

Led by Prof Emajuddin Ahmed, former Dhaka University vice-chancellor, the team also sought the release of potential candidates from jail.

Other suggestions include preventing the "ruling party's attempts" to harass potential candidates backed by other parties and their polling agents by filing false cases and ensuring unhindered campaigns of candidates supported by different parties.

The CEC did not say anything about these.

The delegation also included Prof Mahbub Ullah, a former DU teacher; Abdul Hye Sikder, president of a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists; Zafrullah Chowdhury, trustee of Gonoshasthaya Public Charitable Trust; Fahima Nasrin Munni, a Supreme Court lawyer; and Khandker Mahbub Hossain, president of Supreme Court Bar Association and also an adviser to Khaleda.

Talking to journalists later, Emajuddin said the CEC seemed positive about implementing their recommendations.

"The chief election commissioner has assured us that he would try his level best [in this regard]," he added.

On BNP's taking part in the polls, he said, "There is no justification for not participating in the election. They [BNP] should run even if they lose. Because election is like an ornament in the democratic system."

Apart from the written recommendations, the delegation also raised a number of issues that include locking of the central offices of the BNP and other political parties.

"We want assurance from the Election Commission that a level playing field and … absolute impartiality will be ensured in the city corporation elections," added Emajuddin.

The BNP has yet to formally announce its backing of any candidate.

CHANGE OF MIND?

In a sudden move, the government recently asked the EC to hold the long overdue elections to the two Dhaka city corporations along with the due polls to the Chittagong City Corporation.

Political analysts think the government has come up with the idea to divert people's attention from the BNP-led alliance's ongoing movement against it.

Initially, BNP policymakers showed no interest in taking part in the polls. But they seem to have changed their minds.

As the city polls are non-partisan in nature, the BNP has opted to bank on professionals and leaders of professional bodies to work for the party-backed mayor aspirants.

Tafsir Mohammad Awal, son of Mintoo, bought the nomination paper for his father.

"We have concerns whether the elections will be held in a free and fair manner. We will speak with the Election Commission about this," Tafsir told The Daily Star.

Replying to a query, he said, "If we run in the election, we will surely have endorsement from the BNP and its chairperson."

Fakhrul Islam Selim, personal secretary of BNP leader Abdus Salam, collected the nomination paper for him.

Principal Selim Bhuiyan, president of pro-BNP Teachers-Employees Association, also collected nomination paper to take part in the mayoral race in Dhaka South.

'STAGE-MANAGED'

Interestingly, after all these developments, the BNP-led 20-party alliance described the upcoming city polls as a drama staged to divert people's attention.

"The Election Commission is going to hold the stage-managed local government elections like the January 5 national polls as per a blueprint of the government," said a statement issued by BNP Joint Secretary General Barkat Ullah Bulu.

HASINA MEETS CITY AL LEADERS

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, also the AL chief, yesterday asked all city unit leaders to work for the party-backed candidates in the two DCC polls.

She also formally informed the city AL leaders that the party would back Sayeed Khokon in Dhaka South and former FBCCI president Annisul Huq in Dhaka North, meeting sources said.

Talking to the city unit leaders at the Gono Bhaban, she directed them to pick one councillor aspirant for each ward.

Tomorrow, Hasina is due to sit with thana and ward-level leaders where she is expected to announce the names of party-backed councillor candidates, added the sources.