BNP to stay in the race

After facing a dilemma over contesting the union parishad elections, the BNP last night decided to stay in the polls race.

"We joined the polls for the sake of democracy and as part of our democratic movement. We're in the election race and will contest in the remaining phases of the polls," BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said.

He was talking to reporters after party chief Khaleda Zia had a meeting with the chiefs of the 20-party alliance. The one-and-a-half-hour meeting was held at Khaleda's Gulshan office.

On Sunday night, the BNP chairperson discussed the issue with the party's standing committee members, vice chairmen, chairperson's advisers, joint secretaries general and organising secretaries.

After hearing the opinions of her colleagues, she decided to consult with the alliance leaders, party sources said.

Fakhrul said although the alliance is taking part in the local body elections under the current government and the EC, it would not do so in the national polls.