BNP entrusts party chief to nominate presidential candidate

After extensive deliberations, the BNP's highest policymaking body, the national standing committee, has entrusted BNP Chairperson and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with the responsibility to nominate the party's candidate for the presidency. The meeting took place at the party chairperson's office in Gulshan on Saturday night.

Senior party leaders, including BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, attended the meeting, which Tarique Rahman chaired.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting at around 9:30 pm, BNP Secretary General and Minister for Local Government Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the standing committee had assigned responsibility for the presidential election to the prime minister and BNP chairperson.

The BNP secretary general also said that the committee held extensive discussions on the country's overall political situation, the state of public administration and the government's development activities.

The meeting also reviewed the upcoming local government elections in detail. Finally, the committee discussed the presidential election.

He said, "The party has entrusted the chairperson with full responsibility for nominating the party's candidate and deciding when the election will be held."

Responding to questions from journalists, BNP standing committee member and Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said, "If a special session of Parliament is required for the presidential election after the election schedule is announced, we will make a decision in consultation with the Speaker."

Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Selima Rahman, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood, and AZM Zahid Hossain also attended the meeting.

Following the resignation of President Mohammad Shahabuddin on 24 July, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has been serving as acting president in accordance with the Constitution.

The Constitution requires the election of a new president within 90 days of the office becoming vacant.

Under the constitutional provisions, the candidate nominated by the majority party in Parliament is most likely to be elected president. As the BNP holds a parliamentary majority, the party's nominee is expected to become the next president.