Although BNP has decided not to join any polls under the Awami League government, its grassroots leaders and activists seem enthusiastic about contesting the upcoming elections to Cumilla and Mymensingh city corporations and Upazila Parishads across the country.

Amid pressure from the party’s rank and file, the BNP high command is considering not taking any action against party leaders if the upcoming local government elections are held without party symbols and they take part in those.

“If the local government polls are held without party symbols and anyone of our party joins it, there’ll remain no scope of taking action against them. Our party decision is that we won’t join any polls under this government,” a senior BNP leader told the Daily Sun, wishing not to be named.

BNP sources said the party is already in mess after its movement for months failed to stop the 12th parliamentary elections while a large number of party leaders and activists are still in jail and many others are on the run to escape arrest.

At the same time, the party also expelled a number of its leaders and activists in different districts who joined the 7 January election activities directly or indirectly defying the party decision. Besides, the party men are frustrated seeing no ray of hope.

“In this situation, the party high command doesn’t want to take organisational action or expel more leaders even if anyone joins the upcoming local government elections to be held without party symbol. Expelling more leaders for joining the polls may affect the party,” a party leader said. The Election Commission (EC) will hold the polls to Mymensingh City Corporation and by-polls to Cumilla City Corporation mayoral post on 9 March.

Talking to reporters at the EC office on Tuesday, Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman said they are preparing to hold the first phase of Upazila Parishad polls after Eid-ul-Fitr. The Awami League has already decided that they do not want to contest the local government elections to cities, Upazila Parishads and municipalities with the party’s electoral symbol.

“Every election under the Awami League government is fake and forgery. We don’t want to talk about the polls now. When there’ll be free and fair elections and this government will resign, we’ll talk about participating in elections,” BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told the Daily Sun.

Talking to the Daily Sun, a number of BNP aspirants, leaders and activists from Mymensingh and Cumilla cities said they are interested in participating in the local government elections if those are held without party symbols.

“I’m interested in contesting the upcoming by-election to Cumilla City Corporation. After the announcement of the election schedule, I’ll talk to the party high-ups about this,” Monirul Haque Sakku, a BNP leader who was expelled from the party for contesting the last city polls defying the party decision, told the Daily Sun.

BNP had long been boycotting polls under the Awami League government. BNP sources said a number of leaders are interested in contesting the local government elections but cannot express their wish as they do not want to go against the high command’s decision. “Otherwise, BNP may become detached from voters for continuously boycotting polls,” a leader said.

Several BNP leaders who want to contest the Upazila Parishad polls from some districts said if the party-nominated candidates enter the fray, they can drum up support from voters, which may help the ongoing movement gain further momentum with more public involvement.