Hours after the announcement of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) by-polls schedule, BNP on Tuesday demanded the deployment of army a week before the election, reports UNB.
Talking to reporters, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also said his party will finalise its candidate for the by-polls on Saturday.
"We'll join the by-election to the DNCC mayoral post. Our party standing committee members will finalise our candidate at a meeting on Saturday," he said.
The BNP leader further said, "We want army deployment seven days before the by-polls, not only for maintaining law and order, but also for ensuring a congenial atmosphere."
Fakhrul came up the remarks while talking to reporters after a namaz-e-janaza of BNP executive committee member and former Dhaka City Corporation commissioner Abdul Mojid in front of BNP's Nayapaltan central office.
About 20 party leaders meeting with BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia on Monday night, he said the alliance leaders entrusted the BNP chief with the responsibility to nominate a candidate for the by-polls. "The alliance leaders will extend their support to the candidate to be nominated by Khaleda Zia."
The BNP leader also said though Jamaat has announced its candidate for the by-polls, they will solve this problem through discussions.
Fakhrul said his party hopes that the Election Commission (EC) will try to hold the by-polls in a credible manner, exerting its power and using the existing law.
Earlier, the EC announced the schedule for the DNCC by-polls fixing the date for balloting on February 26.
The EC fixed January 18 as the last date for filing nomination paper while scrutiny will be held on January 21, 22.
The closing date for the withdrawal of nominations is January 29.
Besides, the EC will arrange polls to 36 councillor posts and 12 reserved seats in 36 new wards -- 18 each under the DNCC and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) -- on the same day.
The DNCC mayoral post fell vacant with the death of Annisul Huq on November 30 last.
