The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has started organisational action against the dissidents for contesting the Upazila Parishad polls defying the directives of the party-high command.
The central leaders have already served show cause notices to the dissidents, asking them to give reply within 48 hours for their participation in the upazila parishad polls defying the party directives.
Sources said that some 38 BNP men are still in the race for the first phase of UZ polls slated for May 8.
Of the 38, some 18 are leaders having different portfolios in the party while the rest are former and expelled leaders and activists of the BNP.
“The party wants to scrap the primary membership of those activists with a view to sending a message to the grassroots so that none dares to participate in the next phases of the upazila parishad polls,” said a senior leader on condition of anonymity.
Some organising secretaries say that the dissidents are showing excuses saying that they (dissidents) are in the race amid pressure from the grassroots activists and voters.
But talking to the grassroots leaders and activists of that concerned area, it was found that the ruling camp asked them to vie the race by providing some financial assistance.
The rebels said that they are taking part in the polls as it was not a partisan election.
Ignoring the organisational of the party, Fayzul Kabir Talukder, a leader of the Indurkani Upazila of Pirojpur, is still in the race.
He said that he is not a candidate of the party rather he is contesting the polls as a representative of the people.
“I know that the party will take organisational action against him. Yet, I will remain in the race,” he said.
The Pirojpur district unit at a meeting decided to expel him from the party and sent a letter to the central body with a recommendation to expel Kabir for the life time.
Muktarul Haque Muku said that he is BNP supporter and he does not have any portfolio in the party.
He is contesting the upazila parishad polls ignoring the party decision as he was elected the UZ chairman earlier.
When asked about the logic behind the boycott of the UZ polls, sources in the BNP say, they think that this elections under the Awami League government will also be a controlled one.
If they participate in the polls, the Awami League will get a political mileage. That’s why, the party decided to boycott the local body polls, they say.