Photo: Collected
Amid widespread political discussions about the election schedule, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has convened an expanded meeting after more than half a decade. The meeting began at 10 am on Thursday at the LD Hall of the National Parliament Building. BNP’s Acting Chairman, Tarique Rahman, participated virtually.
The meeting was attended by members of the BNP’s National Standing Committee, Advisory Council, and Central Executive Committee, along with the presidents, general secretaries or conveners, and member secretaries of all metropolitan, district, upazila, and municipal committees—around 4,000 leaders and activists. Leaders who were nominated or received preliminary nomination letters for the 2018 National Election were also expected to attend.
Tarique Rahman will listen to grassroots leaders' speeches and deliver a new message at the meeting. The party referred to this as a "special extended meeting." However, the specific agenda of the meeting remained unclear, even to the party’s own members.
There are speculations that the meeting may result in important decisions regarding the current political situation, organizational matters, and the upcoming elections. Many party leaders believe this meeting marks the beginning of BNP’s election-focused journey.
Sources said that the BNP is increasingly focusing on the upcoming elections. The party believes a free, fair, and impartial election should be held as soon as possible after completing necessary reforms. They are also seeking to put pressure on the interim government to achieve this.
Reliable sources within BNP stated that no official announcement has been made about the specific agenda for the expanded meeting. However, party members speculate that the BNP’s Seventh National Council might not be held, which could lead to decisions regarding reshuffling in important positions, such as Secretary-General and the National Standing Committee.
Additionally, the meeting may give the green signal to candidates for the "Sheaf of Paddy" symbol in 220-225 parliamentary seats for the upcoming 13th National Election. The remaining seats may be allocated to alliance partners or parties involved in joint movements. Regarding party nominations for the parliamentary election, 20% may be new faces, while 80% could be experienced members. Among the nominees, 5% could be bureaucrats, 30% businesspeople, and the remaining 65% politicians.
Messenger/JRTarek
