Tarique Empowered to Finalise BNP’s Presidential Candidate

Image: Collected

BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been authorised to determine the party’s nominee for the upcoming presidential election, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Saturday night.

The decision was made during a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee, which was chaired by Tarique Rahman at his political office in Gulshan.

Following the meeting, Fakhrul told reporters that the party’s highest policymaking body reviewed the prevailing political situation in the country along with several organisational issues.

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the Election Commission is constitutionally obligated to arrange the presidential election following the vacancy in the office.

He noted that the Speaker of Parliament is currently serving as acting president and that the Constitution requires the election of a new president within 90 days. According to him, the Election Commission has already started the necessary preparations and is ready to conduct the election within the stipulated timeframe.

Regarding the party’s nomination process, Salahuddin said Tarique Rahman has been assigned the authority to select the BNP candidate.

He added that once the Election Commission announces the election schedule, the BNP chairman will make the final decision on the party’s nominee.

Responding to a question about the possibility of a special session of Parliament for the presidential election, Salahuddin said the issue would be considered after the Election Commission publishes the election schedule.

He added that any decision on convening a special parliamentary session would be taken in consultation with the Speaker of Parliament.

Source: The Daily Star