Published: 09:49 AM, 14 August 2026
PM declares Mirza Fakhrul as BNP's presidential candidate
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman hands over nomination paper to presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. -BNP Media Cell
BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday nominated party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the BNP's candidate for the presidential election. Tarique announced his decision at the beginning of a meeting with the party's Standing Committee members and senior leaders at the Prime Minister's Office at secretariat, according to news agencies. "On behalf of the BNP, I am pleased to announce that BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been nominated as the party's presidential candidate," BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi told reporters coming out of the meeting. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman handed over the nomination paper to Fakhrul.
Rizvi said the decision was taken shortly before the announcement at a meeting chaired by BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. "Along with becoming the presidential candidate he has resigned from the post of BNP secretary general and from the party's National Standing Committee,"Rizvi said.
Asked who would take over as BNP secretary general, he said the responsibility for deciding the matter had been given to the party chairman.
"Our chairman and Prime Minister has been given the responsibility. He will take opinions and let you know through the appropriate process. You will know about it later," the BNP leader said.
Rizvi said the meeting is still underway and that Tarique hosted a lunch for Standing Committee members and senior leaders during the meeting.
A high-profile BNP delegation led by Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy left for the Election Commissions to submit the BNP candidate's nomination paper, said PM's Press Secretary Saleh Shibly.
Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, Selima Rahman and AZM Zahid Hossain have joined the meeting.
Among the senior leaders are Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Joint Secretaries General Khairul Kabir Khokon, Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, Abdus Salam Azad and Emran Saleh Prince.
Fakhrul, 78, has been serving as the BNP secretary general since 2016 and is currently the Local Government and Rural Development Minister.
The nomination formally puts the veteran BNP leader in the presidential race ahead of the August 20 election.
The BNP Standing Committee had earlier entrusted Tarique Rahman with the responsibility of finalising the party's presidential candidate.
