Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud said on Wednesday that a tide of the election has been created across the country and the BNP's tone against the election has become soft.

"The BNP's anti-election campaign has been washed away in the Padma, Jamuna, and Karnaphuli rivers across the country. Now the BNP supporters are also waiting to vote in this election," he said.

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The minister made the comment when he addressed a public rally as the chief guest on the Kuddus Market premises in Shilk Union of Rangunia upazila of Chattogram on Wednesday evening.

Rangunia Upazila Awami League Vice President Akhter Kamal Chowdhury presided over the rally.

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Quoting BNP leader Dr Moyeen Khan, the minister said they no longer campaigned against the election, and they are not talking about resisting it, but they are talking about boycotting the election.“It shows that their tone has softened now,” said Hasan, also the Awami League’s joint general secretary.

“The BNP had earlier said the election would be resisted. For that purpose, they threw petrol bombs at people, killing people in their sleep, truck drivers, and helpers. Petrol bombs were thrown at a mother and child while they were sleeping. By doing all these, they found that it did not benefit them; people were not afraid. People have joined the election tide,” he said.

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“Elections are now a festival in our country, people are now celebrating that festival. The situation is such that the BNP will say after a few days that there is no problem if ‘our’ supporters participate in the election. Whatever they do, the BNP supporters are participating spontaneously in the election at the field level,” said the AL leader.

“BNP leaders are announcing to boycott the election, but their grassroots workers and supporters do not support it. Many BNP supporters also attended this rally and will vote for the boat symbol. Local BNP leaders also spoke at the rally because they understood the reality. The enthusiasm we are seeing in this year's election in Rangunia is unimaginable,” he added.

“Bangabandhu's daughter, Sheikh Hasina, never differentiated between the Awami League and the BNP in terms of benefiting the people and developing the country. That's what we learn from her. In my development activities in Rangunia, I never considered who belongs to which party or ideology,” Hasan said.

Awami League leaders Abul Kashem Chisti, Nazrul Islam Talukder and Abdul Monaf Sikder spoke at the rally, among others.