Gulshan: BNP Standing Committee Member Salahuddin Ahmed today expressed hope that the party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman will return home by November this year. “I hope the acting chairman of the BNP will return home by November. The specific date will be known very soon,” he said while talking to journalists at his residence in Gulshan this afternoon.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Salahuddin discussed the party’s preparation for the upcoming national election, stating that single candidates for 200 constituencies would receive the ‘green signal’ in October to commence their election campaigns. He also addressed the amendments to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), noting that while the BNP agrees with many of the amendments, it opposes the provision under sub-section 20/1, which requires parties in an alliance to use their own electoral symbols. Salahuddin expressed concern that this provision would discourage smaller parties from forming alliances, as senior leaders of smaller parties may not benefit under such rules.
Salahuddin questioned why this type of RPO has been passed unilaterally and emphasized that the BNP seeks a parliament enriched with multi-party participation. He called for a reconsideration of the RPO amendment to ensure a fair election. Additionally, he mentioned that the BNP plans to send a letter to the Election Commission expressing their objections to the RPO amendments.
Furthermore, Salahuddin revealed that political discussions are ongoing with the NCP, although no formal discussions regarding coalition formation have taken place. “However, we have to wait to see whether the BNP and the NCP form an alliance,” he added.