Delwar calls for 'test case' elections

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The stricken luxury liner Costa Concordia lies off the Isola del Giglio Sunday.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has asked the government to hold some 'test' case elections, which they distinguished from midterm elections, in some constituencies to measure its popularity amongst the electorate, reports UNB.
It was implied that this would show the ruling party has isolated itself from the people through its 'failures and misdeeds'.
BNP Secretary General Khondoker Delwar Hossain was briefing the journalists after a joint meeting of the party and its front and associate organisations at the patry's Naya Paltan central office Tuesday.
The joint meeting with Delwar in the chair chalked out a seven-day programme from March 25-31 to observe the Independence Day.
Delwar only recently returned home on March 9, after receiving medical treatment for a month in Singapore. This was his first formal appearance before the press since his return.
Describing the various misdeeds and failures of the Awami League-led 'Grand Alliance' government and its repression of the opposition, the BNP veteran said that the AL would not be able to retain power if a fair election was held.
He also withdrew BNP's earlier calls for midterm elections, and instead called for the 'test' elections in some constituencies.
He said the BNP would be ready to put forward some of its less popular candidates against the popular candidates of the ruling party in the proposed test case elections.
On the state of democracy and parliament, Delwar said that the BNP had returned to parliament in order to protect democracy, make parliament effective and to extend their cooperation to the government, but each time they rejected it.
BNP has strongly protested and condemned the recent attack on its senior leaders by the ruling party cadres and implicating others in false cases to harass the political opponents.
The meeting noted with concern the attack on senior leader MK Anwar's Homna home and filing of false cases against party leader and chief whip Joynal Abdin Farroque and threats on their lives. The attack on editor of daily Amar Desh by the ruling party activists in London was also condemned and protested.
The meeting strongly protested and condemned the outrageous statement of state minister for law that anyone who claims Ziaur Rahman as the declarer of independence will be punished.