Election conspiracy still underway: Tarique Rahman

The BNP is preparing to issue final nomination letters to its candidates for the 13th National Parliamentary Election, with the process likely to begin within the next one or two days, party sources said. Each constituency will receive a single nomination letter for symbol allocation.

The letters will be signed by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, though the process may face a brief delay as he has suddenly fallen ill. Candidates will submit the party letter to their respective returning officers to obtain the party’s election symbol, the “Sheaf of Paddy.” Earlier, the BNP granted preliminary nominations in 273 of the 300 constituencies.

Sources indicated that some candidates previously announced in certain constituencies—described as “controversial”—may be replaced. For the third straight day on Wednesday, the party held day-long closed-door meetings with 90 candidates from the Chattogram, Sylhet, Cumilla and Faridpur divisions at the BNP Chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka. BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman joined the session virtually from London in the evening.

Meeting sources said presentations were made on eight priority issues: family cards, farmer cards, sports development, improving the social status and living standards of khatibs, imams and muezzins, protection of rivers, canals, wetlands and the environment, health, education and skilled manpower development, and building a corruption-free Bangladesh. Candidates were instructed to focus their election campaigns on these issues and explain how the BNP would implement them if elected.

Although officially termed a meeting, it effectively functioned as a workshop. Detailed discussions were held on social media campaigning, voter outreach strategies, and the distribution of voter lists at both polling-centre and constituency levels. Candidates were also guided on how to present the party’s 31-point reform agenda for state restructuring, complete nomination forms, comply with the election code of conduct, and cooperate with the government and law-enforcement agencies. Nomination fees were also collected during the sessions.

Addressing the meeting, Tarique Rahman said conspiracies surrounding the election were still continuing, with certain quarters attempting to delay or derail the polls. He claimed only the BNP could resist such efforts and urged candidates to go door to door, stand beside the people, and clearly present the eight-point agenda and 31-point reform plan. He stressed that victory for the “Sheaf of Paddy” symbol must be ensured, warning that failure would endanger the country’s independence and sovereignty.

BNP candidate for Lakshmipur-1, Shahadat Hossain Selim, said the session was more like a training programme than a routine meeting, with experts explaining the eight-point agenda and offering guidance on social media use, campaigning, and nomination procedures.

BNP candidate for Sylhet-3, Mohammad Abdul Malik, said candidates were instructed to cooperate with the government while strictly following election laws, and to engage voters at the grassroots level while collectively resisting any conspiracies with public support.