Dhaka, Aug. 21 -- The Ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will contest the upcoming local government elections independently, the party's Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said Thursday.

He announced the decision to journalists after an important meeting between BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and leaders of the Rajshahi division at the party chairman's office in Gulshan in the evening.

At the meeting, the Prime Minister said grassroots leaders should be given priority in selecting candidates after the Election Commission announces the schedule for the local government elections, according to Rizvi.

Union and upazila-level leaders, with assistance from district leaders, will sit together and select a singl...