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that the EC with the help of the government would hold polls in a free and fair manner.

But the local government elections, particularly those to municipalities and upazila parishads, frustrated them and the BNP decided to stay away from future UP polls.

A total of 835 UPs will go to polls today and elections to another 1,004 will be held on November 28 in the second and third phases.

BNP Organising Secretary Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu said, “What did we achieve through taking part in the previous polls? Nothing at all, but a number of cases have been filed against our leaders and activists. So why should we contest polls?”

He said the party’s biggest benefit from boycotting the UP polls is that its leaders and activists did not incur financial losses and face any new polls-related cases.

“The general election is ahead. Now we need to keep our unity intact. There is a huge competition within the parties like BNP for nominations and it sometimes creates division within the party. Why should we weaken our organisational strength by taking part in such farcical polls when we know the results beforehand?” he said.

BNP leaders also said they consider boycott of the ongoing UP polls by almost all major parties as a big achievement for the party as the other parties followed them.

According to the BNP, more than five lakh cases have been filed against 35 lakh leaders and activists of the party, about 500 have been made victims of enforced disappearances and more than 1,000 have been killed since 2009.

Statistics of Ain o Salish Kendra show at least 44 people were killed in clashes centering local government polls between January and October this year. Of them, 40 were killed in clashes over UP polls.

This month, at least nine people have been killed in pre-polls violence in Narayanganj, Cox’s Bazar, Narsingdi and Dhaka’s Dhamari upazila, according to media reports.

Most of the clashes took place between supporters of the ruling Awami League chairman nominees and party “rebels”.

BNP LEADERS IN POLLS RACE

Although the BNP is boycotting the UP election, many party men are running as independents.

Take for example the case of Wakkas Kanchan in Murshid Hat union of Dinajpur’s Bochaganj upazila.

“I am contesting the polls as an independent as the local party leaders and activists wanted me to take part. I cannot deny the request from the locals,” he said.

In the same upazila’s Ishania union, no BNP men are taking part in the UP elections. Alamgir Shah, a local BNP leader, had contested the last UP polls with the party’s ticket, but he is staying away this time around.

“For me, taking part in the polls is meaningless. People know that if a candidate is running with ‘boat’ symbol, he will win. So what is the benefit of contesting the polls?” he said.