With Mohammed Shahabuddin stepping down as president on Friday, the country’s political arena is now abuzz with speculation over who will succeed him.
According to the Constitution, the process of electing a new president must be completed within a specified timeframe. Against this backdrop, discussions over potential candidates within the ruling BNP have intensified.
Multiple party sources indicated that Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP secretary general and minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, is the most widely discussed name among the frontrunners.
Because of his extensive political experience, significant leadership role during the party’s difficult years and active participation in political movements and struggles, he is considered an acceptable candidate not only by many party activists but also by other political parties.
The names of BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Nazrul Islam Khan are also under discussion. They are being considered potential candidates because of their political experience, organisational skills and long-standing contributions to the party.
Party sources said the names of several former senior government officials had also surfaced in informal discussions.
Moreover, many party leaders and activists believe that nominating a senior member of the BNP Standing Committee to a constitutionally important post such as the presidency would send a positive message to party workers.
Leaders at various levels of the party believe that party Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will evaluate the contributions of those who remained at the forefront of political movements and struggles for more than a decade and faced various forms of political pressure, legal cases and imprisonment.
Party sources said the significance of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s long political struggle was a key reason his name had featured prominently in the discussions.
BNP activists noted that while leading anti-government movements during the previous Awami League administration, he was arrested several times, faced numerous cases and served time in prison.
They said he remained active in leading the movement despite his illnesses.
However, the BNP’s policymaking body has yet to announce any official decision on who will be nominated for the presidency. Party sources said the final candidate’s name would be announced following a decision by the party’s highest level at the appropriate time.
Following the resignation of Mohammed Shahabuddin, Speaker Major (retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has taken over as acting president and may remain in the post for a maximum of 90 days under the Constitution.
The presidential election must be held within this period. If the BNP nominates Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, he will not have to leave Bangabhaban.
During the Awami League’s tenure, Speaker Abdul Hamid similarly took over as acting president following the death of then president Zillur Rahman. He was later elected president.
When contacted, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir declined to comment on the matter of the new president.
BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, “Many names are under discussion. However, I do not know who the new president will be.”
BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan said that, since parliament would elect the new president, it was difficult to say at this stage who the next president would be.
