BNP seeks loyalist president, learning from bitter past
Photo: Agamir Somoy
BNP wants to appoint someone loyal and reliable to the post of president. In this regard, the party may choose an experienced politician from within the party instead of a bureaucrat or a teacher.
The ruling party’s leaders observe that, in the past, they faced crises by appointing individuals outside of those with the experience to handle pressure during political turning points. Party leaders cited the example of the late president Iajuddin Ahmed.
They said having failed to manage the situation, the BNP-appointed president Iajuddin departed under pressure. This paved the way for 1/11 which then led the BNP into a long-drawn political crisis. Learning from that bitter past experience, the BNP is extremely cautious this time regarding the appointment to the state’s highest constitutional post.
The opinion at the party’s senior leadership level is that someone who is loyal to the party, upholds the party’s policies, ideals, and philosophy, possesses long political experience, and is capable of handling situations during crises should be chosen as president. After considering everything, BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will make that decision.
Former president Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on Friday, citing physical illness before the end of his five-year term. Regarding the sudden resignation of the president, it has been learned that he resigned after receiving a “green signal” from the government.
The government wanted him to resign because a kind of looseness had developed in the relationship between the president and the government over the past few months, which had also become visible.
Generally, there is a tradition of the prime minister informing the president about his trip after returning from abroad. Tarique visited Malaysia and China from 21-26 June. This was his first foreign trip after taking office.
After returning to the country, he spoke in the Parliament on 27 June about the achievements of the trip. However, neither president’s office nor the PM’s office has released any information regarding a meeting with the president or informing him of the results of the trip in any other way.
Therefore, many were speaking about a distance developing between the president and those in power.
Some within the BNP said when Shahabuddin went to London for treatment on May, he had a phone conversation with the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Then the matter of that phone conversation reached the government through intelligence agencies, which the government took seriously.
It was after this that the message to resign was sent to him from the government. BNP leaders believed that, following that lead, Shahabuddin was forced to resign. Although Shahabuddin has completely denied the matter of that phone conversation, calling it entirely baseless.
Many believed that the phone conversation is one of the main reasons for the president’s resignation. The top leadership of the BNP felt that the trust they had in Shahabuddin was cracked by that phone conversation.
However, it is also true that Shahabuddin himself is physically ill. He also mentioned that in his resignation letter.
According to the constitution, the speaker will perform the duties of the acting president until a new president takes office. BNP leaders said the new president will be elected in the next session of Parliament.
It has been learned that the next session of Parliament may sit on September. Under these circumstances, the ruling party felt they have enough time for the presidential election.
According to party sources, the names of four senior BNP leaders are being discussed as potential candidates for the post of president.
They are the party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, and Nazrul Islam Khan. However, some said a surprise could come from outside this group as well. That depends entirely on Tarique.
Chief Whip of the Parliament and BNP Vice Chairman Md Nurul Islam Moni told Agamir Somoy, “The new president will be elected through the Parliament. It may happen in the next session of Parliament.”
He said, “The next session must sit within two months of the end of a parliamentary session. Accordingly, the session must sit by 15 September. Because of this, there is still enough time in hand.”
Moni added, “Who the party will nominate for the post of president depends entirely on BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. In this case, he might speak with the senior leaders of the party.”
