The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has finalized its strategy for the upcoming national election, setting out an intensive three-month program aimed at ensuring a structured campaign and strong grassroots mobilization, party insiders said.
Party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman is personally overseeing the planning process, including candidate selection and field-level training, as the party prepares for what it calls a "critical and decisive electoral battle."
According to senior BNP policymakers, the party is viewing the upcoming election as a major political challenge and has devised a multipronged approach to tackle it. The program, scheduled to roll out 90 days before the election date, includes field training, a strict candidate vetting process, and a detailed polling-day operational plan.
In all, BNP's parliamentary candidates will have to face a comprehensive and tough test. Its main goal is to prepare a perfect party candidate list after knowing the details about the interested candidates, according to the party's policy-making sources.
The notable and important issues in this election program are-
Code of conduct for party candidates: In this, how will the behavior of party candidates across the country be during the election? How will they behave with voters and the general public? What issues will they give importance to in their own areas beyond the 31 points? How will they behave with other candidates and leaders and workers of other parties, there will be instructions on these issues.
Details of candidates' income and income-expenditure: Before finalizing the candidate, the personal income account of the candidate and all income-expenditure accounts must be submitted to the acting chairman of the party.
Special training for field-level leaders and workers: Special training will be arranged for grassroots leaders and workers of the party and its affiliated organizations across the country on election-related matters. Special training will be arranged on ensuring maximum presence of party and neutral voters at the polling station, preventing fake votes and fake voters, playing a role in resolving any problems created at the polling station in order to maintain a peaceful situation, preventing all kinds of fraud in counting the votes received and announcing the results, etc.
Polling agents: It will be prepared before the election who will be the polling agents of the party candidates at the polling station. In this upcoming election, polling agents will play a very strong role in the polling stations.
In this case, BNP will prepare three lists of polling agents based on the center. If someone falls ill for some reason or is absent or leaves for some reason, they will be replaced from the alternative list.
What issues will be given importance to voters in the campaign: Apart from the 31 points proposed by BNP, it will be determined which other issues the party candidates will give importance to in the campaign. Especially, the issues that will benefit the people if given importance on a local basis will be given priority.
Vote counting and results: BNP leaders and workers will be vigilant to ensure that no irregularities or chaos are created in the counting of votes and the announcement of the results of the election. They will be on guard in accordance with the law and the systematic process. BNP and its high command have decided to provide all-out cooperation to the concerned administration for peaceful voting, announcement of results and free and fair national elections.
Relationship and behavior with other candidates: There will also be instructions on how a party candidate will maintain contact or relationship with other party candidates in his neighboring area. In particular, instructions regarding behavior with candidates and leaders and activists of other parties will be mentioned in the code of conduct prepared for candidates of their own party.
Prevention of digital propaganda: Initiatives will be taken to form efficient digital teams across the country to prevent propaganda by other parties or opponents on various social media against the party, party candidates and leaders and activists. Who will give a logical response to these propaganda.
(Translated by Tanvir Raihan)
