BNP has collected two nomination forms for the upcoming presidential election. The party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni collected the forms from the Returning Officer’s office on Sunday.
While speaking to reporters at Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka’s Agargaon, Moni said the party collected two forms for the same candidate to avoid any mistakes or omissions in the nomination process.
The party will submit the nomination papers in line with the election schedule, he added.
In 2023, the then ruling Awami League also collected two nomination forms for the presidential election. Two sets of papers were submitted in the name of candidate Mohammed Shahabuddin, with one declared valid and the other automatically cancelled.
Election rules impose no restriction on collecting or submitting more than one nomination paper for a single candidate.
Earlier on 6 August, the Election Commission announced the schedule for the election, setting 20 August as the voting date following the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin on 24 July.
According to the schedule, nomination papers can be submitted between 10am and 4pm on 13 August. Scrutiny will be held on 16 August, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is 18 August. If more than one candidate remains, voting will take place from 2pm to 5pm on 20 August in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The 11‑party alliance led by Jamaat‑e‑Islami has already announced its candidate. The alliance nominated Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad on Sunday.
If the contest proceeds, it will mark the first presidential election involving more than one candidate since 1991, when the parliamentary system was restored.
In that election, BNP’s Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League’s Badrul Haider Chowdhury. Since then, presidential candidates nominated by ruling parties have been elected unopposed.
As the president is elected by Members of Parliament, the BNP candidate is expected to secure victory due to the party’s single majority in the legislature. Article 70 of the Constitution prevents lawmakers from voting against their respective parties.
If Parliament is not in session, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will convene a one‑day sitting in consultation with the Speaker. If more than one candidate remains in the race, the sitting will be convened seven days before polling. The session, however, will not be considered a regular parliamentary sitting.
