Dhaka: The BNP Standing Committee convened on Saturday night to deliberate on organizing the party's forthcoming national council and enhancing its political and organizational activities. "We discussed how we can quickly move the party towards a council in the near future in order to further expand our political and organisational activities," stated BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, addressing reporters following a meeting exceeding two hours at the party chairman's Gulshan office.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the meeting reviewed the 47-day program initiated by BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with committee members sharing their insights and suggestions on various facets of the initiative. Fakhrul emphasized that the discussions primarily centered on fortifying and expanding the party's organizational and political activities. He remarked, "We will try to move towards the council as quickly as possible, and we discussed this in detail."
Responding to inquiries regarding the timing of the party council in relation to Eid-ul-Azha, Fakhrul indicated that it would take several months to prepare before setting a date, dismissing the possibility of it occurring beforehand. The party's last national council was held on March 19, 2016. On the topic of nominating party candidates for the parliament's reserved seats for women, Fakhrul confirmed that this was not a topic of discussion during the meeting.
The meeting, called by the party chairman to discuss strategies for maintaining the party's activity and continuity of its regular functions, commenced at approximately 8:40 pm, concluding at 11:50 pm. BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman presided over the session. In attendance were BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members including Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moyeen Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, and Prof. AZM Zahid Hossain. Nazrul Islam Khan and Selima Rahman participated virtually, while Mirza Abbas is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Singapore.
This gathering marked the first meeting of the BNP's highest policymaking body since the party assumed power following the national election on February 12. The previous Standing Committee meeting took place on January 9 at the same location.