Both the ruling Awami League led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and its main political rival BNP led by Khaleda Zia have started preparations for the next general elections, leaders from the parties said. Prime Minister Skeih Hasina, who is also the president of Awami League, has directed party leaders to go to the grass-root people and to project the government’s development initiatives. On the other hand, the BNP has started identifying party’s possible candidate for the next polls.
A cell was set up to pick right candidates for the party who have the potentials to win the election, party insiders said. The ruling Awami League (AL) will begin its informal campaign for the next general election from a rally in Sylhet that will be held on November 23. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to address the rally as the chief guest.
After the party’s 20th triennial national council session, it would be the first rally of AL president and Prime Minister Hasina. The Premier, according to party insiders, in her address will appeal to voters to cast ballots for party symbol ‘Nouka’ (Boat) for the next parliamentary elections, scheduled to be held in 2019. They also said the party’s district unit would be holding such rallies in each district till the next general elections and the prime minister would address these rallies as the chief guest.
Talking to reporters in Sylhet, Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday said the AL would begin its election campaign with Prime Minister Hasina’s Sylhet tour on November 23. “The Awami League’s poll campaign will start with the rally,” Muhith said as he visited the premises of the rally in his constituency.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is also preparing for the next election.  The BNP’s senior leadership said if the AL started campaigning for the next polls, the BNP would not sit idle; they would also begin their campaign by organising public meetings in divisional headquarters and holding mass contact programmes across the country soon.
“The chairperson (Khaleda Zia) is likely to address the first public meeting either in Khulna or Barisal. She is also looking for prospective party candidates for the general elections,” the source said.
Senior party leaders told The Independent that the BNP would not waste time while the ruling Awami League gets ready for the general elections.
The party is also simultaneously working to reorganise the party at the district and upazila levels, mobilising support to reconstitute the Election Commission in line with its proposal, and making preparations for the next general election, said the leaders.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, however, said that there should be a congenial atmosphere before the election is held.
“Who’ll take part in the polls, if there is no level playing field and Opposition parties are not allowed to speak?” he asked.
Alamgir alleged that the ruling AL was taking a unilateral decision. “Let them do so if they think they’ll be able to hold a credible election on their own,” he said.
Standing committee member Lt. Gen. (retd) Mahbubur Rahman said the party was carrying out reorganisation work and has prepared its own road map for the election campaign.
“Being one of the largest political parties of the country, the BNP will not sit idle when the ruling party is preparing for the polls,” he added.
The former army chief said that the BNP was also getting prepared for the polls so that the party can face the challenge if elections are announced suddenly.
Asked whether Khaleda has plans to visit the divisional headquarters of the country early next year for the mass contact programme, the BNP leader said the chairperson would mobilise public support for the reconstitution of the EC into a commission acceptable to all.
Calling the BNP a democratic political party, he said the party believed in elections and it would certainly make preparations for the general elections.
Pointing out that the BNP is getting ready for the next general election, joint secretary general Mujibur Rahman Sarwar said, “Madam (Khaleda) is working on the selection of constituency-wise party candidates and monitoring the reorganisation work of the party.”
He said the chairperson would hold rallies at the divisional headquarters after a conducive atmosphere is created for the polls.
Meanwhile, AL senior leaders, led by its general secretary Obaidul Quader, have started visiting different districts across the country and held meetings, views exchange meetings and rallies to mobilise people’s support for the party symbol ‘Nouka’ for the general elections.
The AL leadership has also planned tours across the country from January to beef up the party at the grassroots level.
“We’ll begin tours across the country from January next year to forge unity among party leaders and workers at the grassroots level.
“In some places, our party leaders are divided over the latest local government elections. Such internal conflicts would be minimised through these tours,” said newly appointed Awami League joint general secretary Abdur Rahman.
The party has already distributed divisional responsibilities among its four joint general secretaries and eight organising secretaries, according to party sources.
Besides, Obaidul Quader—during his ongoing visit to Noakhali district—called upon his party activists to get ready for the general elections after resolving the intra-party feud.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has told me that the general elections would be held after two years and we’ll have to close ranks and stay united to contest the elections,” he said.