BNP will settle seat-sharing issue after scrutiny: Fakhrul

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Tuesday they will settle the seat-sharing issue with the partners of Jatiya Oikya Front after the scrutiny of nomination papers, report agencies.
Talking to reporters at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office, he, however, said they have already completed the seat-sharing process with their partners from the 20-party alliance.
"We've given nomination to 800 leaders from our party. We've also nominated some leaders from the partners of the 20-party alliance," the BNP leader said.
He said components of the Oikya Front are giving nomination independently to their candidates. "Once the scrutiny is over, we'll settle the seat-sharing issue with them."
Replying to a query about how many seats they have shared with the 20-party alliance partners, Fakhrul declined to disclose any specific number, saying it will be around 15.
About the seat-sharing with Oikya Front, he said they will decide it later after discussions.
Responding to another question, the BNP leader said they will not share more than 60 seats with their all alliance partners.
A BNP leader, wising anonymity, said his party is going to share seats with Jamaat-e-Islami, BJP, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, LDP, Jatiya Party (Zafar), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, NPP, Labour Party and Samyabadi Dal among the 20-party alliance partners.
However, a Jamaat leader claimed that BNP is going to share nearly 25 seats with them.
Fakhrul alleged the HC verdict that barred the persons jailed for more than two years with their appeals pending with courts cannot compete in the election has reflected the government's will.
"We think this order has reflected the government's desire," he said.
Taking to reporters before heading towards his home district in Thakuragon, he further said this order will in no way be accepted to people and they also cannot accept it. "We strongly condemn and protest it."
Earlier in the day, the High Court said those who have been sentenced to over two years' jail by a lower court in any graft case with appeal pending will not be allowed to contest elections.
Fakrul also said this HC order ahead of the national election will undoubtedly raise many questions in public mind. "It [HC order] was passed so that the BNP chief cannot join the election."
He went on saying, "We also think the order was given to resist Oikya Front and BNP and hamper the election as well as people's right."
Meanwhile, BNP resumed distribution of its nomination letters among the selected candidates on the second day (Tuesday) for contesting the upcoming national election, reports UNB.
The distribution for the second day started at the party Chairperson's Gulshan office around 12:45 pm with handing over a party ticket to Shahria Islam Shaila for Faridpur-4 seat.
Later, Mohammad Shahidul Islam and Emaran Saleh Prince received the party's nomination letters for Faridpur-2 and Mymensingh-1 constituencies respectively.
Like the previous day, a large number of supporters of party nomination hopefuls started gathering in front of the BNP chairperson's office since 10:00 am.
On Monday, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir started the process by handing over the nomination letters of its Chairperson Khaleda Zia to Bogura BNP president Saiful Islam for Bogura-6 and to her adviser Helaluzzaman Lalu for Bogura-7 at 3:15 pm.