73 grassroots leaders of the Bangladesh natinalist partis BNP have been dismissed for defying the party's directive by participating in the first round of the forthcoming upazila elections.
 
BNP Senior Joint General Secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi issued a press statement on Friday stating that the disciplinary action against the party officials was carried out in accordance with the party's constitution.
 
In defiance of the party's decision, it said that the 73 leaders of the BNP and its affiliate organisations who are running for chairman, vice chairman, and female vice chairman in the first round of upazila voting have been banished from all party roles, including primary membership.
 
28 of them are running for the role of upazila chairman, 24 are running for vice chairman, and 21 are running for female vice chairman.
 
The Election Commission released a timetable that states that 152 upazilas nationwide would participate in the first phase of voting on May 8.
 
There will be four stages to the 492 upazila elections. Upazila polling will take place in four phases: the second on May 23, the third on May 29, and the final on June 5. 
 
A prior decision was made by the BNP high leadership to abstain from any elections conducted by the Election Commission and the incumbent administration.
 
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