BNP candidate of Dhaka-4 Al-Hajj Salahuddin today alleged that he could not campaign as law enforcers and members of ruling Awami League took position in front of his house at Shyampur in the capital.

Salahuddin said this while addressing media in front of his house today.

After he was barred from bringing out a procession on Tuesday, members of police and supporters of Syed Abu Hosen, the AL Grand Alliance candidate for the same constituency, have been keeping an eye on his house, Salahuddin claimed.

“Due to this, no leader is being able to come to or leave the house,” he said.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, along with members of the party's standing committee, is scheduled to meet Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus this afternoon.

Shairul Kabir Khan, a member of the BNP's media cell, said, "At the Chief Adviser's invitation, Mirza Fakhrul will visit his residence at 4:00pm.

"Standing Committee members will participate under Fakhrul's leadership," he added.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader today said the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina itself will act as the supportive government during the next general election.

"BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia went to the bank of River Thames (London) after making announcement of anti-government agitation. The agitation programme of BNP now remains confined in the vanity bag of Khaleda Zia. Let her come back to the country first, then we will see," Quader said.

He came up with the remarks while addressing a reunion of former students of Basurhat Government High School in Companiganj in Noakhali.

Presided over by Companiganj upazila vice-chairman Azam Pasha Chowdhury Romel, the function was attended by Noakhali-3 lawmaker Mamunur Rashid Kiron, principal of the school Mohammad Nurul Amin and upazila Awami League president Khijir Hayat, among others.

"Being a former student of this school, I have been able to come this far. I hope you all would be able to achieve greater success than me. In spite of being a lady, our prime minister is now being lauded all across the world. Bangladesh is now being recognised as Digital Bangladesh. We have now achieved exceptional success in cricket being patronised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," Quader said.

Earlier in the morning, he visited Companiganj upazila health complex and expressed discontent over the absence of doctors and nurses at the hospital. He also ordered the civil surgeon to show causes over the matter.

BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today accused the government of "staging" a raid on the BNP office.

"The raid on the BNP's Nayapaltan party office was conducted to divert the students' quota reform movement," Rizvi claimed during a virtual press conference this night.

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"They staged a drama inside the office. This drama is a message to the students, a message to tell them to return home," he added.

He said, "They have continued attacks on Chhatra Dal and affiliated activists."

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Questioning the timing of the raid, Rizvi asked, "Why didn't they conduct the raid when leaders and journalists were inside the office?"

"As part of the master plan, a raid was conducted at the central office led by the DB police chief in the middle of the night," Rizvi said.

Leaders of major political parties used the Eid holidays to campaign for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2019.

Believing that the Eid holidays were a key opportunity for reaching out to a large number of constituents, leaders of ruling Awami League, the BNP and main opposition Jatiya Party rushed to their constituencies before Eid and campaigned throughout the holidays, said party leaders.

This year the presence of young politicians in their constituencies was significant and hundreds of party ticket hopefuls campaigned.

The party ticket hopefuls even distributed food and clothes among their constituents.

Those not MPs expressed their eagerness to run in 2019 while the incumbent lawmakers told their constituents that it was imperative they get elected again to finish their work.

The leaders sought the voters' blessings.

Even AL President Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia spoke about the elections in their Eid greeting speeches.

After exchanging Eid greetings at the Gono Bhaban, Hasina said, "We want cooperation from all ... we want to make the country free from hunger and poverty and make it a prosperous one as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman."

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia while exchanging Eid greetings at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre said the next national election must be held under a supportive-government with the deployment of the army to install a pro-people administration to end public sufferings and ensure good governance.

The Election Commission has already drafted the roadmap for the next elections. The two major political parties have been internally preparing for the polls. 

Khaleda has sought votes for the BNP and had unveiled the party's Vision 2030. She said no MP would go unchallenged in the next polls.

BNP leaders believe that they would run in the next election whatever the situation.

A large number of AL leaders, especially young leaders, visited their constituencies and areas and sought people's blessing after Hasina declared that those with close ties with constituents would get party nominations.

Apart from incumbent AL MPs, young leaders like Ashim Kumar Ukil, Aminul Islam Amin, Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan Dablu, Afzal Hossain, Enamul Haque Shamim, Sujit Roy Nandi, ABM Reazul Kabir Kawsar, Marufa Akter Popy, Mahmud Hasan Ripon, Saifuzzaman Shikor, Shafi Ahmed, Ajoy Kar Khokan, Mainul Hossain Khan Nikil, Sajjad Shakib Badsha, Aktaruzzaman Babu, Sheikh Sohel Rana Tipu, Nafiul Karim Nafa, Badiuzzaman Shohagh, Zahiruddin Mahmud Lipton were seen campaigning in their areas.

Our Rangpur correspondent said a number of MP hopefuls of different parties visited constituencies of the district.

Local BNP leader Saiful Islam sought vote for BNP after the Eid congregation at Pirganj Eidgah while AL MP Ahasanul Hoque Chowdhury of Rangpur-2 sought vote for Boat in next polls. Boat is the electoral symbol of the AL.

Our Sylhet correspondent added that Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, adviser to the BNP chairperson, carried out a month-long campaign in Sylhet-1 constituency and expressed his desire to run in the next polls.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith is the incumbent MP of Sylhet-1.

Abdul Momen, younger brother of Muhith, Shahed Muhith, son of Muhith, and AL Organising Secretary Misbah Uddin Seraj also campaigned in the same constituency.

For the last few months, AL leaders Ashim Kumar Ukil, Reazul Kabir Kawsar, Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan Dablu, Afzal Hossain and Misbah Uddin Seraj have been staying mostly in their areas to campaign, sources said.