After the resignation of President Md. Shahabuddin, intense discussions have started in the political arena about who will be the next president of the country.
Several responsible sources concerned claim that the new president may be elected from among the members of the National Standing Committee, the highest policy-making forum of the BNP.
A source at the government and BNP policy-making levels said that although discussions are underway at the top levels of the party regarding a possible presidential election, no formal decision or party forum meeting has been made on the matter yet. However, the list of potential candidates has been much shorter than before.
Since the formation of the government, the names of senior BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and standing committee members Abdul Moin Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan have been in the discussion. Recently, the names of Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani and a former Chief Justice have also been added to the list of possible candidates.
However, party and government sources say that the chances of some senior leaders have decreased due to various factors including physical fitness. In this situation, the name of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam is gaining new importance among a section of the BNP.
Outside of politics, many have also expressed their support for Mirza Fakhrul as the president. Former legal advisor to the interim government, Professor Asif Nazrul, in a post on social media, called Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir the ‘best candidate’ for the presidency. He said that he is suitable for the post due to his long political struggle, party leadership, sacrifice and moderate political stance.
However, no official announcement has been made by the BNP or the government regarding the election of a new president.