Khaleda Zia is likely to take part in the campaign for the BNP-led 20-party alliance mayoral candidate in the upcoming by-polls to the Dhaka North City Corporation.
The combine will form ward-based committees for the electioneering while another committee, comprising top leaders of the alliance, will work to involve all combine partners in the campaign.
The ruling Awami League is also contemplating forming such ward-based committees for the same task.
Besides, the ministers from the party, who cannot join the campaign due to electoral codes of conduct, will be asked to work from behind the curtain to ensure the victory of the AL mayor candidate in the by-polls on February 26, said party insiders.
The BNP-led alliance plans to announce the name of its candidate on Saturday while the AL on Tuesday.
The BNP-led alliance has already decided to nominate a single mayoral candidate for the DNCC by-polls, but the AL is yet to discuss with its alliance partners about candidate.
Talking to The Daily Star, Gonotantri Party presidium member Nurur Rahman Selim and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD faction) President Sharif Nurul Ambia both claimed that AL didn’t discuss with them about the DNCC mayoral candidate.
“If the Awami League announces its candidate on January 16, it will be Awami League’s own candidate,” they added.
At an AL secretary-level meeting at party president’s Dhanmondi office yesterday, the AL leaders discussed the preparations for the DNCC polls.
The leaders expressed concern that the election might not be held due to some legal complications. However, they will take all-out preparations keeping in mind that the polls indeed will take place, said some of those who participated in the meeting.
At the meeting, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader said if there is any legal complication for the DNCC polls, the Election Commission will face it but the party should take all preparations for the election.
He said legal complication is not their “chapter”, their target was to work to win the polls, said meeting insiders.
BNP insiders said senior leaders will be taking part in the campaigning regularly while Khaleda is likely to engage herself in the electioneering for a few days. Khaleda participated in the last DNCC election campaign but she faced obstacles and her motorcade came under attacks.
“We will sit on Saturday night to finalise the candidate and we will also finalise the strategy of contesting the election,” Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary general of the party, told The Daily Star.
The party will hold a meeting of its standing committee on Saturday night at Gulshan office to finalise the candidate for the mayoral post.
*News Searching By TheDailyStar*
