BNP presidential candidate decision nears as Tarique meets senior leaders

Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman has sat down with the party's National Standing Committee and senior leaders to finalise its presidential candidate.

The meeting is under way at the Cabinet Division's conference room in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at the Secretariat.

The meeting began at noon on Wednesday, according to Tarique’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman.

"The BNP chairman is meeting senior leaders. He will finalise the party's presidential candidate at this meeting,” Ruman said.

Before the meeting got under way, Chief Whip and BNP Vice-Chairman Nurul Islam Moni entered the PMO carrying the presidential election's nomination forms.

"We've collected two forms from the BNP and brought them here. The party's Standing Committee members are here [on Thursday].

“There's a meeting with the chairman at noon," Moni said, adding, "From here, we'll take the nomination papers to the Election Commission."

Those attending the meeting include BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 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, among others.