BNP to clarify its position on Ishraque: Abdus Salam

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party will soon clarify its position regarding the activities of party leader Ishraque Hossain, who has started carrying out the activities of the mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) without taking oath of office.

BNP chairperson’s adviser Abdus Salam said this to the media after a programme in Rajshahi on Friday.

When asked about the government’s apparent message to the BNP that city corporation elections would go ahead if Ishraque Hossain does not step aside, Abdus Salam said the party would soon clarify its position on the matter.

“I have been in Rajshahi for two days. The BNP will now consider the issue and make its stance clear. However, there is no scope for holding local elections before the national polls,” he stated.

He made the remarks to the media after visiting Premtoli Gourangabari in Godagari, Rajshahi, and holding a public exchange with local residents around 11:00 am today.

Abdus Salam further said that BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman recently held discussions with the chief adviser focusing solely on holding national elections. “There are no other considerations,” he added.

The BNP leader also said that the election commission has already been asked to announce the national election schedule. In this context, there is absolutely no room for local polls before the general election.

The situation emerged as BNP leader Ishraque Hossain held a meeting in the conference room of Nagar Bhaban, the headquarters of Dhaka South City Corporation, on 15 June. It was his first such event in the Nagar Bhaban.

The event’s banner referred to him as “Honourable Mayor”, with Ishraque himself as the chief guest. He, claiming himself as DSCC mayor, has since conducted several meetings to exchange views.

Speaking about this, Abdus Salam said, the BNP will certainly clarify its stance regarding the government’s message on the Ishraque issue.

Speaking on the nature of campaigning in the upcoming national election, Abdus Salam commented on the use of billboards instead of posters, saying that the authorities need to ensure there’s no use of black money in the elections, but it must also make sure campaigning is not hindered unnecessarily.

He also spoke about push-in across the border. At the meeting in Gourangabari, Abdus Salam remarked, “Why is India pushing people in? That’s our question. If they need to return someone, they should coordinate with the government. Forcefully pushing them in is not acceptable.”

Mentioning that BNP is a party for all faiths and ideologies, Abdus Salam accused the Awami League of grabbing land from minority communities the most.

He said, AL has grabbed the most land from Hindus. No BNP leader has seized land from them.

According to him, the BNP does not see people as Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or Buddhist—BNP is a party that embraces all religions and ideologies.