<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi likened the upcoming upazila polls to the ‘sham’ election of January 7, urging the voters of the country to boycott the elections to be held in four phases.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">“The government is going to hold dummy elections to upazila parishads like January 7, as no democratic party is participating in these polls," he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rizvi said this while distributing leaflets, containing the party’s call to boycott the upazila polls, in the capital’s Bailey Road area on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He slammed the current government for depriving the people of their right to vote and choose their representatives through rigged elections.&nbsp; “This situation has been created by the head of the current government, which came to power through a dummy election.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">“So, I urge the country's people not to participate in any election under this dummy government. Those present here belong to various upazilas. None of you should cast your votes,” the BNP leader said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rizvi also lambasted the government for what he said was destroying the electoral system in the country merely to perpetuate its power.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">He said the government is ruining the country by indulging in widespread plundering and siphoning off money abroad since it has no accountability to the people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A total of 152 upazilas across the country are scheduled to go to polls in the first phase on May 8, as announced by the Election Commission. The elections to 492 upazilas will be held in four phases, with the second phase slated for May 23, the third phase for May 29, and the fourth phase for June 5.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">BNP remains steadfast in its decision not to participate in the upazila elections, mirroring its stance on the last national election, asserting that fair elections are impossible under the Awami League government.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the other hand, The party also expelled 140 of its grassroots leaders for participating in the first and second phases of the upcoming upazila elections in violation of the party's decision.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd/fas</div>