Trashing media reports on the party’s strained relations with alliance partner Jamaat, BNP on Wednesday said all the components of the 20-party combine decided to work together for single mayoral candidates in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal city polls.
“There’s no question of having a conflict with Jamaat over the city polls candidates. The 20-party meeting endorsed a resolution to work together,” said BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
He came up with the remarks while talking to reporters after a meeting of the BNP-led 20-party alliance at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
According to the schedule announced by the Election Commission, the elections to Rajshahi, Sylhet and Barishal city corporations will be held on July 30.
About media reports that Jamaat will not compromise with BNP in Sylhet over its candidate, Fakhrul said they are not thinking of it as the 20-party decided to work for a single candidate.
“We’ve installed Ariful Haque Chowdhury as a mayoral candidate in Sylhet polls and the 20-party approved it,” he added.
“The meeting has decided that the 20-party alliance will work together actively for single (mayoral) candidates in the three city polls,” said 20-party coordinator and BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan.
As his attention was drawn to Jamaat’s mayoral candidate in Sylhet, he said there is still time for withdrawal of the candidacy. “We’re assuring that there’ll be a single candidate.”
Nazrul said a Jamaat representative was there at the meeting and he agreed to work for the BNP’s mayoral candidates in the three cities.
