The BNP is set to announce its candidate for Bangladesh’s 23rd president by noon Thursday, with Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir emerging as the party’s final choice, according to party sources.
Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman summoned senior party leaders to the Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday morning for a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office. The party is expected to finalise the remaining formalities there before sending its candidate’s nomination to the Election Commission.
Thursday is the deadline for filing nomination papers for the presidential election.
Multiple party sources said preparations have been completed to nominate Fakhrul, although the BNP has maintained public silence over its choice, leaving room for speculation about a possible last-minute change.
Fakhrul met Tarique on Wednesday, a day before the nomination deadline.
The BNP Standing Committee had on August 1 authorised Tarique to select the party’s presidential candidate. In the days since, the names of at least four senior Standing Committee members as well as several serving bureaucrats have circulated as possible contenders.
Party sources, however, said the leadership ultimately settled on Fakhrul after considering the competing political calculations.
The timing of Thursday morning’s meeting has added to expectations that the announcement is imminent. The nominated candidate requires a proposer and a seconder, and Tarique is expected to consult senior leaders on completing those formalities before the papers are submitted.
The Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, meanwhile, has named Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad as its presidential candidate. Alliance leaders are also expected to submit his nomination papers Thursday.
Voting is scheduled to take place in the parliament chamber from 2 pm to 5 pm on August 20 after scrutiny of the nominations.
A total of 349 lawmakers are eligible to vote. Under Article 70 of the Constitution, MPs cannot vote against their party’s decision without risking their parliamentary seats.
With the BNP commanding a clear majority in parliament, its nominee is effectively assured of becoming the country’s next president, barring an unexpected political development.
--