BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed said the candidates who filed nomination papers as alternatives to the late party chairperson Khaleda Zia in her three constituencies will serve as the party’s official nominees.
Speaking to reporters at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan on Thursday, Salahuddin, a member of the party’s Standing Committee, said there is no legal provision to suspend or defer the election following Khaleda Zia’s death.
“The law does not allow for postponement in this situation,” he said. “If such an incident had occurred after the scrutiny of nomination papers and the allocation of electoral symbols, legal complications might have arisen. But that stage has not yet come.”
He said Khaleda Zia’s nomination papers would be declared invalid during scrutiny, as she is no longer a legal entity. “Naturally, her nominations will be cancelled. We have alternative candidates in all three constituencies. If their nomination papers are found valid, they will become the party’s official candidates. This is what the law provides,” Salahuddin added.
Khaleda Zia was expected to contest the next general election from Feni-1, Bogura-7 and Dinajpur-3. However, due to her illness, BNP had earlier nominated alternative candidates for those seats — Rafiqul Alam Majnu for Feni-1, Morshed Alam for Bogura-7, and Syed Jahangir Alam for Dinajpur-3. Following her death, these candidates will now represent the BNP in the respective constituencies.
Asked about the mental state of acting BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, Salahuddin said he remains steadfast despite the loss. “Tarique Rahman is a political leader who must remain strong. Regardless of the grief, he has to stay firm in the interest of the nation,” he said.
