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BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the announcement at a press conference at party chairperson’s Gulshan office.
"We thought that at least the government would take steps for credible elections in the local government bodies and the Election Commission would conduct the polls in a fair manner," he said.
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"But what has so far happened in recent elections to Union Parishad, Municipality and Upazila Parishad is very much frustrating. So, we’ve decided not to take part in the forthcoming Union Parishad elections in a partisan manner,” Fakhrul said.
He said BNP had earlier joined the elections amid extreme adversities as the party believes in democracy. “But the recent elections have manifested that the current Election Commission is not capable of conducting any polls in a free, fair, and credible manner.”
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The BNP leader said the Election Commission’s main responsibility is now to implement the agenda of the current ‘unelected’ government.
Asked whether BNP will refrain from participating in all the elections in the days to come, he said their standing committee will decide it later.
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"So far, our party has decided not to join the Union Parishad polls… we’re not going to nominate any candidate from our party in the Union Parishad polls,” Fakhrul said.
He said BNP standing committee took the decision at its virtual meeting on Saturday.