Citing different reasons though they were nominated by their party, three BNP leaders -- vice-chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo and joint secretaries general Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal and Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel -- refrained from filing nomination papers to contest the upcoming general election.
BNP nominated Mintoo for Feni-1 constituency as an alternative candidate of Khaleda Zia while Syed Moazeem Hossain Alal for Barishal-2 and Sohel for Dhaka-9 parliamentary seats.
However, no one of them submitted their nomination yesterday, the last date for filing candidature, to contest the election, said BNP chairperson's adviser Sayrul Kabir Khan. Party insiders said Mintoo was initially nominated for Feni-3 seat and later the party high command asked him to submit his nomination paper for Feni-1 as Khaleda may not turn out to be a valid candidate after scrutiny of the nomination papers.
UNB adds: The party also gave its ex-office secretary Abdul Latif Jony nomination to vie the election from Feni-3 seat which made Mintoo 'aggrieved'.
He, however, preferred working centrally for all the candidates of the party to restricting himself to any single constituency.
Party sources also said Mintoo went to BNP chief's Gulshan office on Tuesday night and returned his two nominations letters back to BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan.
As he declined to be a party candidate, Dhaka South City unit Jubo Dal President Rafiqul Islam Majnu filed nomination paper as an alternative candidate to Khaleda in Feni-1 seat.
Contacted, Mintoo said he is not interested in taking part in the election as there is no level playing field in the country while their party leaders and activists are being regularly arrested and harassed.
"Under the current circumstances, "I think, I can make more contributions to the party by getting involved in its election overseeing activities instead of joining the election. That's why I've decided not to contest the election in the greater interest of the party," he added.
Mintoo said their party lacks enough experienced leaders to get involved in its election steering committee. "So, I think, I should give adequate time and labour for the party at this important time instead of remaining in the election race."
Alal sought nomination to contest the election from Dhaka-13, but the party asked him to contest from Barishal-2 seat as party chairperson's adviser Abdus Salam was picked for the seat in the capital.
While talking to The Independent Alal, “As two top party leaders including imprisoned party chairperson Khaleda Zia can’t run for the polls so I am withdrawing myself from contesting the election.”
As per the party senior leaders' advice, he later sought nomination from Barishal-2 seat and the party nominated him and two other party leaders -- Sharfuddin Ahmed Santu and Shahidul Haque Jamal -- for the same seat.
Later, the party asked him to contest the election from Barishal-5 seat which he opposed and finally decided not to contest the polls.
Contacted, Alal said though he got interviewed as an aspirant for Barishal-2 constituency, the party did not officially inform him whether he was selected for the seat or not. "I saw on TV scrolls that I was nominated first for Barishal-2 and then for Barishal-5. But, the party high command didn't tell me anything about it."
He also said he is not interested in contesting the election as their chairperson and acting chairman are not there in the election race. Sohel, who has been in jail since his arrest on September 8, sought to be a candidate of the party from Dhaka-8 seat, but the party nominated its standing committee member Mirza Abbas from the constituency, a leader close to the BNP joint secretary general, told UNB.
BNP nominated Sohel and Mirza Abbas' wife Afroza Abbas from Dhaka-9 seat which made him upset and forced him to stay away from the polls.