Tarique Rahman to Be Elevated as BNP Chairperson Within Days: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced on Sunday that Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman will be formally elevated to the position of party chairperson within the next couple of days, filling the vacancy left by the recent death of former chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.

He made the remarks during an interaction with journalists at a hotel in Sylhet on January 4, following a one-day personal visit to the city where he paid respects at the shrines of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA).

Fakhrul stated that the BNP will traditionally kick off its election campaign from Sylhet ahead of the upcoming national polls. "This election holds immense significance for the nation, as people were long deprived of their voting rights," he said, adding that while media discussions surround the election, the BNP remains unconcerned as a party. "We have demanded a credible election from the very beginning."

Addressing concerns raised by Jamaat-e-Islami regarding the activities of certain returning officers during nomination scrutiny, Fakhrul emphasized that the electoral process is progressing smoothly. "The Election Commission will conduct the polls with everyone's cooperation," he assured.

Praising the late Khaleda Zia's legacy, he described her departure as a "royal exit" achieved through democratic struggle. "We hope to build the democratic Bangladesh that she envisioned," Fakhrul said, urging all parties to seize the current opportunity. "Today is our chance—we must utilize it. Democracy and democratic culture cannot be established overnight."

The BNP leader concluded by affirming that, if victorious, the party would form a government alongside those who have campaigned with them.