The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday urged the voters not to go to the polling stations on Wednesday to cast their votes in the first phase of Upazila Parishad elections.
鈥楾he upazila polls will start tomorrow (Wednesday) and will be held in four phases. We call upon everyone to tell your relatives, brothers and sisters all over the country not to go to the polling stations,鈥� said BNP鈥檚 senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
The BNP leader also said that no one should support the dummy elections to the upazila parishads. It鈥檚 a sham, farcical and fraudulent voting. People won鈥檛 participate in the polls.鈥�
Just a day before the first phase of UP polls, Rizvi came up with the remarks while distributing leaflets-- containing BNP鈥檚 call to boycott elections-- to pedestrians, vehicle drivers and passengers in the capital鈥檚 Banani area.
Rizvi said that the country鈥檚 people turned down the dummy national election on January 7 arranged by the current usurper government. 鈥楾he regime is once again going to conduct sham elections to upazilas. But those who believe in democracy will also boycott this upazila election.鈥�
He said that the country鈥檚 people had no interest in going to the polling stations since the government has snatched their right to franchise.
The BNP leader said that the government was holding the lopsided upazila polls, excluding the people and excluding the participation of the opposition parties, to create scope for the ruling party leaders to indulge in plundering and grabbing people鈥檚 assets.
鈥榃e believe that the people will boycott the upazila elections that will be held in four phases, including tomorrow鈥檚 (Wednesday鈥檚) one. We call upon all to boycott and say no to the upazila polls,鈥� he said.
The first phase of the upazila elections will commence on Wednesday, with polls set to open in 140 out of the total 495 upazilas.
The 2nd phase of elections are scheduled to be held on May 23, the third phase on May 29, and the fourth phase on June 5.
BNP remains steadfast in its decision not to participate in the upazila elections, mirroring its stance on the last national election, asserting that fair elections are impossible under the Awami League government.