BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir yesterday asked the Awami League (AL) to first arrest drug dealers from its own home and then take action against them. “Now, a new drive has been launched in the country. It is good carrying out raids against drugs. But first arrest the drug dealers of your own homes and take action against them,” he said while speaking at an Iftar party at a city hotel.

The BNP secretary general accused the government of getting the ruling party lawmaker from Cox’s Bazar released on bail, adding that he (the lawmaker) is continuing with his business as usual. He claimed that ruling party men are doing drug business not at one or two places, but almost everywhere. They were always released after their arrest, the BNP leader said.

Khelfat Majlish, an ally of the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance, hosted the Iftar party for political leaders. Speaking at a press conference at the party's central office, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday said the government would hold the next general election on the Khulna City Corporation (KCC) poll model.

“This was clear from the Prime Minister’s statement on the KCC polls,” he added. The BNP leader said it would be suicidal for opposition parties to take part in the elections under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The BNP leader criticised the Premier for her statement that the ruling party candidate secured the support of Khulna people in the civic polls due to the massive development work carried out by the government.

He termed the statement as a mockery of the electoral system. The Premier deprived the people of Khulna of their voting rights, the BNP leader said. Rizvi also criticised the Election Commission for its role, saying it has only implemented the agenda of the government in Khulna. He termed the Khulna civic polls as an unprecedented new model of elections, which has set another bad example in history.