BNP to finalize presidential nominee through internal deliberations says Fakhrul
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced on Sunday that his party will finalize its candidate for the upcoming presidential election through its internal policy-making forums. Speaking to reporters in Bogura, Alamgir stated that the decision rests with the party's standing committee and will be formally disclosed once internal deliberations are concluded.
When asked to address speculation regarding his own potential nomination for the role, Alamgir emphasized that the process will strictly adhere to constitutional mandates, noting that the party’s collective decision would remain final. The vacancy follows the resignation of Mohammad Shahabuddin, who stepped down on Friday citing health reasons, nearly 20 months before his official term was set to conclude. According to constitutional requirements, a new president must be elected by members of parliament within 90 days, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad serving as the interim head of state during this period.
Alamgir’s comments came on the sidelines of the 36th annual planning conference of the Rural Development Academy (RDA), where he serves as the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives. In his address to the conference, the minister underscored the necessity of prioritizing the livelihoods of small-scale farmers over mere infrastructure development. He noted that despite the arduous labor of marginal cultivators, a lack of fair market value for their produce is driving a growing disillusionment with agricultural work.
The minister advocated for pragmatic policies to shield farmers from the influence of intermediaries, urging the implementation of direct marketing channels for agricultural goods. He stressed the need for intensified government-led research and the rapid adoption of modern agricultural technology to bolster the national economy. Alamgir also called for increased private sector involvement to commercialize technological breakthroughs, lamenting that many innovations created by domestic researchers fail to reach the field level due to a lack of proper dissemination.
In an appeal to the nation’s youth, the minister encouraged the next generation to move beyond traditional job-seeking mindsets and instead embrace opportunities as agricultural entrepreneurs. He highlighted that by modernizing the collection, storage, and distribution of agricultural products, young innovators could play a pivotal role in strengthening the rural economy.
The two-day conference, chaired by Rural Development and Cooperatives Division Secretary Md. Shawkat Rashid Chowdhury, brought together policymakers and experts to evaluate the progress of ongoing rural development projects and chart the course for the next fiscal year. Participants focused on strategies for sustainable rural growth, cooperative-based development, and the integration of research into practical field applications to ensure the long-term viability of the agrarian sector.
