The Awami League has said time and again that the next general election will be held in time with or without the BNP.
The party’s policymakers, however, have hinted at adopting a two-pronged approach for the polls, slated between late 2018 and early 2019.
In her latest news conference on May 3, Awami League chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made it clear that she is not going to take any initiative to bring the BNP to polls.
The party wants talks on a non-partisan polls-time administration and dissolution of the current parliament before the election.
It is also demanding release of its chief Khaleda Zia, who is in jail in a corruption case.
The party says it will not contest in the next general election with Hasina in power and Khaleda in jail.
The Awami League seems apparently unmoved over the calls by the BNP, which had sat out from the last national election in 2014.
Ruling party leaders are least concerned over BNP’s participation and confident on winning the upcoming parliamentary polls.
“The Awami League is not concerned over which parties are coming to the polls. The Awami League will win in any case,” said Abdur Rahman, a joint secretary general of the party.
However, the Awami League has locked on strategies considering both scenarios — polls with and without BNP.
According to senior ruling party leaders, if the BNP finally decides to boycott the election then they will open discussions with other political parties, which are registered with the Election Commission, to bring them to the polls.
According to sources at the Awami League’s policymaking level, in case of an election without the BNP, the Jatiya Party will be its rival.
The ruling party will also advise its coalition partners to float its own candidates.
However, negotiations will be also opened with a BNP faction for bringing them to the election.
Sources in the ruling party said the strategies aim at creating an impression at home and abroad that an all-inclusive election is possible without the BNP.
“It’s totally the BNP’s concern what it will do, the Awami League will not take any steps. But we want all the registered parties to take part in the election,” Muhammad Faruq Khan, a member of the party’s policymaking presidium, told Bangla Tribune.