BNP stumbles yet again

The BNP cannot yet start electioneering in full swing, as its Dhaka south mayor hopeful Mirza Abbas is unable to hit the campaign trail for legal reasons, with less than two weeks to go before the polls.

And to avoid arrest, the former city mayor may have to keep from campaigning in person until he gets bail in three cases over vandalism, arson and corruption, BNP sources said.

Party policymakers had been waiting for his bail from the High Court, as they were planning to launch the campaign for the April 28 city polls at full throttle. But yesterday's split order on his bail means the party will have to wait more.

The bail petitions along with the dissenting orders will now be forwarded to the chief justice, who will refer those to another HC bench for disposal. 

The split verdict from a two-member bench appears as a fresh blow for the BNP, and has forced the party to shelve some of its plans to counter the campaign of mayor candidates backed by archrival Awami League.

On advice of party chief Khaleda Zia, Adarsha Dhaka Andolon, a platform of pro-BNP professionals, postponed its programme scheduled for yesterday in the city, as the party high command was uncertain about the outcomes of Abbas' bail petitions, sources said.

Khaleda, who at a Pahela Baishakh event in the city sought vote for Abbas and Dhaka north mayor aspirant Tabith Awal, was expected to formally introduce the party's mayor and councillor candidates from the platform's programme. 

The BNP chief had also plans to start electioneering for the party's mayor aspirants, party sources said. 

"We were waiting for Abbas' bail so that the BNP chief could introduce our two mayor candidates together. For this, the programme has been postponed twice," said Moudud Ahmed, a BNP standing committee member.

“After today's [yesterday's] court order, we will have to wait for the final decision on his bail pleas," he said.

The BNP faced troubles in Dhaka North City Corporation as well after its mayor contender Abdul Awal Mintoo was disqualified from running for procedural anomalies in his nomination paper.

Mintoo had launched a legal battle, but lost.

Then on April 9, Khaleda endorsed Tabith Awal, Mintoo's son, as the party's mayor contender in Dhaka north. Tabith launched campaign on April 10, three days after his rivals did.

When the BNP was fighting to get itself out of trouble in Dhaka north, things looked way better for the party in the south. Two of its candidates -- Abbas and another leader Abdus Salam -- were declared valid candidates.

Later, the BNP endorsed Abbas and Salam quit the race.

But faced with 60 cases, Abbas has been hiding since January 6 to avoid arrest and has kept from the campaign trail. On his behalf, his lawyers completed some formalities, including filing the nomination paper, attending the scrutiny and allocation of polls symbol.

His wife, Afroza Abbas, launched campaign on April 8, a day after the formal electioneering began.

Abbas, who secured bails in 57 cases, filed three petitions on Sunday with the High Court seeking bail in three cases -- two over vandalism and arson and another over corruption.

On Monday, the HC bench dropped from its hearing list the petition in the graft case, in which he is facing an arrest order.

It said there was a specific bench for hearing and disposing of petitions over corruption cases.

On the same day, however, the court asked Attorney General Mahbubey Alam to take steps so that Abbas is not harassed or arrested in the other two cases until its orders, which came yesterday.

But the orders brought no relief for Abbas and his party.

“Problems are not leaving our mayoral hopefuls from the very beginning of the city corporation elections in the capital. We are lagging behind in the campaign trail,” said Moudud.

But, he added, his party would run in the polls no matter how many impediments the government and law enforcers create.