Forty-three BNP leaders, including independent mayoral candidate Md. Salah Uddin Rimon, have been expelled for life from the party for contesting the upcoming Sylhet City Corporation election -- defying the party's decision to boycott all polls under the incumbent government.

Of those expelled, 38 are male and four are female councillor candidates.

BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi issued a notice in this regard on Monday night, Sylhet city unit President Nasim Hossain confirmed.

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He said, "The 43 leaders and activists have been permanently expelled for disobeying the party's decision to not take part in the upcoming Sylhet city polls."

Initially, show-cause notices were sent to 41 leaders and activists for their participation in the election, defying the party's directives on Saturday (June 3). However, they failed to provide a satisfactory response, prompting the central leadership to take further action. Later, two more names were added to the list.

According to a part of the expulsion letter, "Your (the expelled BNP leaders) decision to contest as a candidate in the SCC polls, disregarding the party's decision, is unacceptable. Your actions betray the aspirations of the pro-democracy community, including the families who have suffered enforced disappearances, murders, and government repression during the past 15 years of the democratic movement.

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"As per the provisions of the party constitution, you are expelled for life from all positions, including primary membership of BNP. Your name will be remembered as a dishonest, traitorous figure in the history of saving democracy, similar to Mir Jafar," it said.

Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury, president of Sylhet district BNP, said that the party had chosen not to participate in the elections under the current government and Election Commission (EC).

"Those who disregarded the party's decision and became candidates have been expelled for life by the central BNP leadership," he added.

Since the establishment of Sylhet City Corporation in 2002, four elections have been held so far. Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran emerged as the winner in the inaugural election of 2003.

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