The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The BNP led four-party alliance is going to sit for an urgent meeting today to finalise its decision on participating in the forthcoming election on December 18.

The high ups of the alliance would sit at 6:30 pm at BNP Chairperson's office at Gulshan in the city.

The components of the alliance have held separate meetings yesterday in the follow-up to the announced election schedule by the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday.

BNP standing committee held meeting yesterday evening at the party chairperson's Gulshan office . Begum Khaleda Zia presided over the meeting that began at 8:15 pm. The meeting was continuing till filing of this report.

It is the fourth meeting of the BNP standing committee since Khaleda Zia was released on September11.

Sources from the alliance said all parties of the alliance have held meetings separately in the last few days and discussed thoroughly to find their respective parties stands on the issue of participation in the election.

The top leaders of the alliance will arrive at a common and single decision after assessing all the options presented by the component parties of the alliance separately, it added.

Earlier the BNP led four-party alliance urged the EC not to declare the election schedule hurriedly without reaching unanimity with the political parties.

But the EC declared the election schedule soon after the High Court dismissed three separate writ petitions challenging the EC's gazette on the redrawing of parliamentary constituencies

There is less possibility of participating in the elections, if the government fails to realise the seven-point demand put forward to the government during the dialogue, said a BNP leader on condition of anonymity.

"Creating a level playing field for all political parties in the election is yet to be realised, " he added.

Bangladesh Jamaat-e- Islami Ameer Moulana Motiur Rahman Nizami said the top leaders meeting of the alliance today will take decision whether they go for a movement or election.

He said all the component parties of the alliance believe in elections and they never support 'state-managed and farcical elections'.