The BNP is viewing the upcoming local government elections as a major organizational challenge for the party. At the same time, most members of the standing committee have favored holding the party’s national council late this year. Local government elections, the national council, organizational activities, the economy, making party workers self-reliant and implementing the government’s electoral pledges were discussed at length at a meeting of the BNP’s highest policymaking forum, the standing committee, on Saturday night, though no final decision was taken on any issue.
Party sources said the meeting began at the BNP chairperson’s office in Gulshan, Dhaka, at around 8 p.m. and continued for about two hours, ending around 10 p.m. It was chaired by BNP chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. At the start of the meeting, standing committee members thanked Tarique Rahman for the successful completion of visits to Malaysia and China, and a crest was also presented to him.
According to several sources who attended the meeting, in discussing the local government elections some members favored starting the elections late this year, though no specific time was fixed. The discussion also touched on recent political talk about the local government elections and on remarks by standing committee member Dr. Zahid Hossain, reported in the media, about the possibility of elections starting in September. But no decision was taken on the matter.
Most members were of the view that the local government elections were a big challenge for the party, and that it was therefore necessary to strengthen organizational preparations at the grassroots from now, strengthen the party’s position at the local level and build an organization fit for the elections.
The holding of the national council was also discussed with importance at the meeting. When several members raised the subject, Tarique Rahman said the party’s council would certainly be held.
Sources said most standing committee members favored holding the council late this year. The need to quickly reorganize the committees of districts, city units and other organizational units whose terms had expired also came up. Leaders also stressed creating new leadership at the grassroots and further strengthening the organizational structure, keeping in mind the local government elections and future political programs.
The country’s economic situation and employment were also discussed in detail. Sources said the meeting reviewed reducing unemployment, increasing employment opportunities and the progress of implementing the government’s various electoral pledges. The implementation status of the family card, farmer card and canal re-excavation programs was also discussed, and standing committee members exchanged views on strategies for implementing pledges not yet fulfilled.
The financial condition of party workers who had long endured political adversity also received attention at the meeting. Two members said many party workers had lost jobs, businesses or livelihoods over the past 17 years, and discussion was held on rehabilitating them and making them economically self-reliant, with emphasis placed on evaluation based on qualification, skill and merit.
According to members, the BNP would not give jobs on the basis of political identity alone, as the Awami League had done, because following such a policy could create a situation in which many lose their jobs, as in the past.
The current flood situation also figured in the discussion. A call was made to further strengthen the party’s relief activities to stand by the affected people in flood-hit areas, and party leaders and workers were directed to work actively in the disaster-hit areas.
A standing committee member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting had been held after a long gap because of various preoccupations following the formation of the government, and that there had been an open discussion on the country’s political situation, the government’s activities and the party’s organizational matters.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee members Dr. Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr. Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Begum Selima Rahman and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku were present at the meeting.
This is the third meeting of the BNP standing committee since the 2026 national parliamentary election. Two earlier meetings of the party’s standing committee were held on April 4 and May 17.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report