AL, BNP working on campaign strategies

Some major national political issues are set to dominate the upcoming city elections, as both the Awami League and the BNP are chalking their campaign strategies in that line.

Leaders in both camps want to cash in on national issues alongside some city problems to ensure their victory in the battle of ballots on April 28.

They believe a win will give them political mileage, as the elections are likely to generate much heat in national politics with the BNP preparing to take part in the polls to three city corporations -- two in Dhaka and one in Chittagong.  

If the BNP finally decides to participate, the party will speak on the January 5 one-sided election, extra-judicial killings allegedly by law enforcement agencies, forced disappearances and corruption, party leaders said.

"We will urge voters to reject the Awami League-backed candidates as it was the Awami League that killed democracy through holding a farcical national election on January 5 [last year]," said Khandker Mahbub Hossain, an adviser to Khaleda Zia.

He said they would call on the people to vote the BNP-sponsored candidates so they can put pressure on the government to hold a midterm national election.

Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman, a BNP standing committee member, echoed these views.

"We will tell people that we are participating in the city elections as part of our movement for restoring democracy in the country," said Mahbub, also former army chief. 

The BNP will announce in a couple of days its decision on whether it will take part in the polls, he added. 

To counter the BNP campaign, the AL will highlight the violence, killing of people by arsonists, and patronising militancy by the BNP-Jamaat alliance.

"The allegations that we as well as the entire nation made against the BNP for its support for militancy and terrorism will naturally come during our polls campaign," said AL Presidium Member Nuh-ul-Alam Lenin.

AL Organising Secretary Khalid Mahamud Chowdhury said they would try to convince people that the BNP was doing negative politics and became isolated for its violent activities. 

"We will urge the city dwellers to boycott BNP for its misdeeds," he told The Daily Star.

Political analysts say the winning party will get an upper hand in the national politics in the wake of the current political situation.  

"If the AL-backed mayor candidates win the polls, the party can claim that people have rejected the BNP for its violence politics," said Hafizuddin Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government.

"But if the BNP favourites win the mayoral race, the party may use the success to intensify the ongoing movement," he added.

Prof Tofail Ahmed, a local government system expert, thinks the city polls have created a win-win situation for the two parties.

"If the elections are held in a free and fair manner, the government can take credit for it. And if the ruling party-backed candidates come out victorious, the government can portray the win as people's support for it," he added.

If the BNP-supported candidates fail to win and if the polls are not held in a free and fair manner, the BNP can highlight the fault in the electoral system and use it to step up its agitation, he said.

BNP policymakers are considering their participation in the city polls as part of their ongoing movement. The party will try to bring all anti-AL professional bodies and political forces under one umbrella to defeat the AL, said Mahbub Hossain, Khaleda's adviser.

A delegation of pro-BNP professionals plans to meet the chief election commissioner today to request him to create a level-playing field for all in the polls, sources said. 

Pro-BNP professional bodies will also campaign for the BNP-backed candidates, added the sources.

If the BNP-led 20-party alliance joins the race, the AL may change its current strategy. The AL earlier decided that its partners in the 14-party alliance would contest the polls individually. But if the BNP joins the race, the AL may change this decision.

The ruling alliance will discuss the issue at its next meeting on March 29, insiders said. 

"Till now our decision is to back our own party candidates as it is a local body election," said Mohammad Nasim, AL presidium member and 14-party spokesperson.

If alliance leader Sheikh Hasina decides that the 14-party combine would jointly participate in the polls, the alliance partners will withdraw their candidates and support the AL-sponsored contenders.

Sources in the 14-party alliance said the AL did not pay any attention to its partners as the BNP was expected to boycott the polls. This frustrated some of its allies who decided to participate in the polls on their own.

JSD General Secretary Sharif Nurul Ambia said local elections should be non-partisan.

"We have backed our own candidates and they will contest the elections," he said.

Workers Party General Secretary Fazley Hossain Badshah said if the BNP decided to join the race, the 14-party alliance would definitely fix its strategy.

Gonotantri Party, another partner of the 14-party alliance, would also back its own candidates.

Party Presidium Member Nurur Rahman Selim said they would announce the names of their party candidates on Friday.