Rizvi likely to become BNP acting secretary general

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed is likely to be appointed the party's acting secretary general if Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is nominated for the presidency, according to party insiders.

Fakhrul, who has been serving as secretary general for more than a decade, is expected to be formally announced as the party's presidential candidate on Wednesday (12 August).

Under the party's organisational structure, Fakhrul must relinquish his post if he contests the election, leaving the secretary general's position vacant. An acting secretary general is expected to be appointed to oversee activities until the party's next national council.

Rizvi is currently the senior joint secretary general and political adviser to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Party sources said discussions are underway at the highest level about appointing him as acting secretary general.

"Rizvi is being considered as the leading candidate because of his long involvement in the party's central organisational activities," a party source told TBS.

However, the final decision will be taken by BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and the party's policymakers, the source said.

Other names being discussed for the post include Home Minister and BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Joint Secretary General Habib-un-Nabi Khan Sohel and Joint Secretary General Mohammad Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee.

Asked about the possibility of his appointment, Rizvi told this newspaper, "I have no specific information about the presidential candidate or the acting secretary general. No one has discussed the matter with me yet. I have always been with the party, am with the party and will remain with the party. The party will decide how it evaluates me."

On 19 March 2016, BNP last held its sixth national council. Although the party's council is supposed to be held every three years, it has not held one in more than a decade. The party is planning to hold its next council by December this year.

Rizvi holds master's degrees in geography and environmental studies and history from Rajshahi University, as well as a law degree. He began his political career as a student leader and later joined Chhatra Dal. He served as president of the organisation and was elected vice-president of Rajshahi University Central Students' Union in 1989.

He was elected BNP senior joint secretary general at the party's sixth national council in 2016. He also served as the party's office secretary and spokesperson and was secretary of its election management committee for the 2026 national election.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has scheduled the presidential election for 20 August following Mohammed Shahabuddin's resignation on 24 July on health grounds. Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed is currently serving as acting president.

BNP may finalise Mirza Fakhrul as its presidential candidate, according to several BNP Standing Committee members.

Meanwhile, an 11-party alliance has nominated Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad as its presidential candidate.

With BNP holding a two-thirds majority in parliament, its candidate is widely expected to win if the election goes to a vote. If there is only one candidate, the president will be elected unopposed.