History says Chattogram division is a bastion of the BNP.

If the BNP joins the upcoming national polls, it is likely to set aside around 100 out of the 300 parliamentary seats for its alliance partners, party insiders say.

History says it has been a swing division since 2001. The first two national polls results, since democracy was restored, show none of the two major parties enjoyed absolute supremacy here.

After a brief pause in the efforts towards “greater unity”, the BNP and other political parties involved will begin to sit from today to give it a concrete shape.

The BNP has informally started the process for a seat sharing deal with Jamaat-e-Islami and other alliance partners, indicating that it would not sever ties with the Islamist party.

Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland has urged BNP to participate in the coming national election.

The BNP is likely to announce its "greater national unity" among different political parties next week as leaders of several parties have “reached a consensus” on some common issues, including holding of the election under a nonpartisan government.

A three-member BNP delegation is likely to visit EU headquarters in Brussels within a month to talk about the country's upcoming general election, party insiders said.

With potential rivals in the upcoming elections trying to form bigger alliances and unity, the Awami League has started working on its backup plan of expanding the 14-party combine.

The BNP high-command has given “green signal” to at least 100 candidates to contest the upcoming parliamentary polls, party leaders said.

With the national polls over three months away, the ruling Awami League has launched a drive against its “errant” leaders to resolve intra-party disputes mainly over party nominations.

Law Minister Anisul Huq yesterday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will announce the polls-time government at the right time.

Warning that the next national elections would be tough, Awami League President Sheikh Hasina yesterday asked her party's grassroots leaders to resolve their internal conflicts ahead of the polls slated for December.

India is not going to interfere with any democratic exercise in any country around it, particularly in the neighbourhood, an Indian government spokesperson says.