While the BNP candidates are taking part in the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) elections slated for Jan 30 next, they are lagging behind in poster and leaflet campaigning.

The posters of BNP mayor candidates, Tabith Awal and Ishrak Hossain, were hardly seen. So much so that posters were not even seen in front of BNP’s Naya Paltan office.
BNP senior leaders say that even before the allotment of symbols, posters of AL candidates have flooded the city and barriers were created in putting up posters for Tabith and Ishrak.
On Monday, DSCC candidate Ishraq Hossain, has said that ruling party members are trying to instigate a confrontation. He alleges that after declaration of electoral schedule, a certain quarter is vitiating the election atmosphere.
Convener for BNP’s campaigning for Dhaka South, Abdus Salam Azafd said: “Even before the declaration of schedule, posters of AL candidates are seen on the walls.”
Abdus Salam says that BNP leaders and workers are not being allowed to put up posters.
However, BNP is giving more importance to voters coming to cast their votes in their favour.
Head of campaigning of DNCC, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anni, said: “Our workers are being intimidated and prevented from taking part in campaigning; so, now we are going to voters and getting enthusiastic response.”
Meanwhile, BNP’s candidate for south city, Ishrak Hossain, has lodged a complaint against AL candidate Fazle Noor Taposh for breach of election code and harassment of his workers.”
BNP’s standing committee member, Dr Khondokar Mosharraf Hossain, has said: “Election Commission has not been able to create a level playing field with AL workers, activists attacking BNP workers and the commission did not take any step against this.”
“We are still on the field and want to stay till the end; but the election environment will decide the next step.”
The candidates for DNCC are: Atiqul Islam for AL, Tabith Awal for BNP, Sheikh Mohammad Fazle Bari for Islami Andolan, CPB’s Ahmed Sajedul Huq Rubel, NPP’s Anisur Rahman Dewan and PDP’s Shahin Khan. For DSCC, the candidates are, AL’s Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, BNP’s Ishrak Hossain, JP’s Haji Saifuddin Ahmed Milion, Islami Andolan’s Abdur Rahman, NPP’s Sultan Bahar, Gono Front’s Abdus Samad Sujon and Akhtaruzzaman of Bangladesh Congress.