& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

4-party still in poll dilemma

Decides today on participation

Staff Correspondent
Despite the dilemma whether to participate in the December 18 election when it reckons odds are still against its winning, the BNP-led four- party alliance is gearing up for the polls.
Its decision on polls participation will be announced today.
As of last night, the four parties--BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesher Jatiya Party (BJP) and Islami Oikya Jote (Aminee)--were discussing the issue at respective partyforum.
The alliance leaders will meet today to hash out a unified stance.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said they will announce today their decision whether to be part of the upcoming lection.
"We want to be in the election. But for that to happen, obstacles to a free and fair conduct of the elec-
tion must be removed."
He was speaking at a press briefing after a standing committee meeting at the chairperson's Gulshan office last night.
Presided over by Chairperson Khaleda Zia, the standing committee weighed up the pros and cons of going to the election.
Please quit trying to bring a particular party to power while leaving us out of the election process," Delwar said.
He added that their seven-point demand has to be implemented and the state of emergency lifted.
Insiders said a section of BNP leaders want the party to boycott the election.
They believe going to polls would prove a madcap scheme for the party that has yet to shed the bad name it earned for five years of 'misrule and corruption'.
Besides, they argue, waning
FROM PAGE 1
organisational strength compounded by a good number of influential leaders being convicted and detained should discourage the top brass from deciding to join the December 18 race.
“We are indeed faced with a dilemma here,” said a top BNP leader. “We are always an election-oriented party, but we are wary of how this government and the Election Commission (EC) are biased against us."
Meanwhile, Majlish-e-Shura, the highest policy-making body of Jamaat-e-Islami. has decided in favour of participating in the polls, and will place their arguments at today’s crucial meeting of the alliance, said party sources.
BJP leaders said they think it would not be wise for the alliance to take pan in the election under the present EC.
“This commission has failed to maintain neutrality. Besides, a free and fair election is not possible under the state of emergency," Andaleeve Rahman Panho. BJP chairman, told The Daily Star after a meetingof party presidium.
Islami Oikya Jote (Aminee) however decided in favour of polls participation.
"We think this election won t bring any good to us. On the other hand, if we stay off the polls Awami League will win almost uncon-tested," Abdul Latif Nezami, secretary general of IOJ, told The Daily
.Star.