BDB Organising Secretary and lawmaker Mahi B Chowdhury informed this at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club yesterday.

Nagorik Committee, which is backing ABM Mohiuddin Chow-dhury in the upcoming mayoral election, had actually booked the Laldighi Maidan venue for election purpose for five days from May 1 to May 5.

'Following our request, they spared May 4 for BDB,' Mahi told the journalists. He also expressed his gratitude to Nagorik Committee for the positive gesture.

"We appealed for CMP permission on April 28 to let us use microphone but got no response as of today (April 30) regarding this matter," he regretted and informed that the Deputy Commissioner (North) had assured him of full cooperation in this connection.

Mahi categorically said that BDB would not take any side or show any kind of direct or indirect support to any of the contesting candidates in the May 9 polls.

"We came here only to start up our party activities," he said.

On choosing the programme just five days prior to the polls, he said, "This is the best, the most suitable and hopefully the safest time for us. Because we think, at least at this time of an important election, the ruling party goons or cadres might not make any blunder to attack us to foil our programme."

Mahi paid rich tribute to 'architect of the nation' Bangabandhu Shiekh Mujibur Rahman and late president Ziaur Rahman for their contribution to the independence of Bangladesh.

'We don't want to see any more controversy centring these two great personalities,' he said.