Dhaka: Though the authorities concerned blocked telecommunication application Skype, BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman joined the nomination board using another app as the party started interviewing its nomination hopefuls for the third consecutive day on Tuesday.

The party nomination board, comprising BNP standing committee members, started the interview with those who bought party nomination forms for Chattogram division at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office at 10:00am, reports the UNB.

The interview of the nomination seekers of Cumilla and Sylhet divisions will begin at 2:30pm.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Kahosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Mahbubur Rahman and Mirza Abbas are present there in the nomination board.

The nomination seekers who faced interview said Tarique joined the nomination board as previous days using another telecommunication application.

Talking to reporters after facing interview, BNP ex-assistant office secretary Abdul Latif Jony, who wants to get party ticket to contest the election from Feni-3 seat, said Tarique is taking interview through videoconferencing using another app. ‘There’re many telecommunication applications available. The government can’t obstruct our leader from taking our interview by blocking some apps.’

Earlier on Monday, BNP alleged that Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) blocked telecommunication application Skype across the country after Election Commission Secretary Helal Uddin’s remarks that the Commission has ‘nothing to do’ with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s involvement in the nomination processes of the party.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has reportedly blocked telecommunication application Skype across the country.

Emdadul Haque, secretary general of Internet Service Providers Association of Bangladesh (ISPAB), told UNB that they have received a letter from the BTRC asking them to keep all kinds of communication from home and abroad via Skype suspended.

However, acting BTRC chairman Jahurul Haque said there was no instruction from the telecom regulator about blocking Skype.