No upazila polls before national election: AL

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After two days of brainstorming, the Awami League working committee Wednesday came up with the decision that the party would not participate in the upazila elections if arranged before the parliamentary polls, reports UNB.

"All the leaders at the WC meeting have opposed the government's move to arrange upazila elections before the parliamentary polls. Our previous decision remains unchanged that no upazila election will be allowed before the parliament elections," acting AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam told reporters after the meeting, which was adjourned Tuesday.

Ashraful Islam said as their last effort to convince the government to hold upazila election after the parliamentary vote, AL will meet the Chief Adviser, the CEC after the elections in four city corporations and nine municipalities on August 4.

"That will be our last try. If even after that the government wants to arrange upazila elections before the parliamentary polls, we will take the right decision. And all know about our party decision: no upazila elections before the parliamentary polls," he said.

Though the major political parties are strongly opposing the upazila elections before the parliamentary polls, the Election Commission already has announced its decision to arrange election to 300 of the upazilas on October 23.