The newly floated political party, Bangladesh Nationalist Front is all
set to contest the next parliamentary election with ‘Television’ as
its electoral symbol following confirmation of its registration by
Election Commission on Monday.The major opposition BNP was opposed to the party getting registered
with EC. The BNP viewed the party was formed as part of a government
‘conspiracy’ given that the flag of the nascent party was almost
identical to its flag.
The BNF’s Chief Coordinator Abul Kalam Azad received the certificate
of registration from EC’s Senior Assistant Secretary Mesbauddin Ahmed
in the afternoon.
Leaders of BNF claim they formed the party to uphold the ideology of
Ziaur Rahman, the BNP founder.
The BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia had threatened that they would not
spare the three-member EC headed by Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad if the BNF
was registered as a political party.
Country’s senior politician Nazmul Huda, who was expelled from BNP,
was with Abul Kalam at the time the name of the party was first
announced. Later Huda claimed the party had been ‘dissolved.’
Kalam, however, claimed that Huda was expelled from the new party too,
and thus he had no authority to dissolve the party. He also alleged
that he faced intimidation from the BNP activists for forming the
party.
Sources at EC said the party was registered as no official objection
was filed against the party’s registration in the stipulated period
from Nov 8 to 14.
With the new registration the number of political parties registered
with EC has gone up to 40. These registered political parties can
participate in the national parliamentary election.
Political parties first registered with EC in 2008. The registration
of one of the previously registered 39 parties, Freedom Party, was
cancelled for not amending its Constitution. Later a party called
Bangladesh Muslim League secured its registration by a court order.
The registration of Jamaat-e-Islam was declared illegal after the
Supreme Court found the party’s constitution is not in keeping with
the country’s Constitution. – bdnwes24.com
