A group of BNP leaders, led by its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, apprised the diplomats of the party's observations and allegations about the city polls at a meeting at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office.
Diplomats from around 20 countries, including the USA, the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, France, China, India, Turkey and the European Union (EU) attended the hour-long meeting that began around 4pm.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, BNP standing committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said they discussed various issues relating to the city polls and what are happening over the elections.
He alleged that the ruling party candidates are violating the election code of conduct in various ways, including setting up election camps on footpaths, but the Election Commission is not taking action in this regard.
‘There’s no level-playing field in the election. How will people get confidence in the election when the level-playing field is not ensured?” the BNP leader said.
Khosru said they informed the diplomats about the attacks on their Dhaka north city mayoral candidate Tabith Awal and south city mayoral runner Ishraque Hossain and filing of cases against them.
He said they also appraised the foreign envoys of their party’s strong reservation about the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the polls,
Another BNP leader who was present at the meeting, wishing anonymity, said Fakhrul voiced doubt about fair city elections as the ruling party men are ‘flexing muscles’ and attacking their candidates and their supporters.
He said their party also gave the diplomats some evidence on the attacks of their candidates and violation of election code of conduct by ruling party candidates.
The BNP leader said Fakhrul also voiced his dissatisfaction over the ‘biased’ role of the Election Commission, and its decision of using EVMs in the polls.
Apart from Fakhrul and Khosru, BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and chairperson's adviser Sabihuddin Ahmed were, among others, present at the meeting.