No legal provision to postpone election: Salahuddin

Staff Reporter :

BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Thursday said there is no legal provision to suspend or delay the election following the death of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

Speaking to reporters at the party chairperson’s Gulshan office, Salahuddin said the BNP has already nominated alternative candidates for the constituencies where Khaleda Zia was fielded. “If their nomination papers pass scrutiny, they will automatically become the BNP candidates,” he said.

Clarifying the legal aspects, Salahuddin explained that complications could have arisen if Khaleda Zia had passed away after the scrutiny of nominations or the allocation of election symbols, in which case the issue of deferring the election might have been considered.

“However, that is not the case. She passed away before the scrutiny process began. Legally, she is no longer a valid entity, and her nomination papers will therefore be deemed invalid during scrutiny,” he said.
In such a situation, he added, if the nominations of the alternative candidates are found valid, they will contest the election on behalf of BNP in place of Begum Khaleda Zia.

Responding to a question about BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman’s emotional state following his mother’s death, Salahuddin said Tarique Rahman is a political leader who must remain mentally resilient. “Regardless of personal grief, he has no option but to stay strong in the greater interest of the nation,” he said.

Salahuddin paid glowing tribute to Khaleda Zia, saying she devoted her entire life, family and personal happiness to the struggle for democracy. “Her love for the country, its people and its soil was unparalleled. Her patriotism stands beyond comparison,” he said.

He noted that although she suffered immense personal loss, she attained a stature that only a handful of people in the world ever achieve. “We must carry forward her sacrifices, contributions and patriotism as our strength to build a strong, democratic and discrimination-free Bangladesh. This is the nation’s demand,” he said.

According to Salahuddin, Begum Khaleda Zia was not merely a leader of BNP or Bangladesh but a symbol of democracy for people across the world. “She rose above partisan divisions, earning a place of honour in the hearts of the people. That is a rare and significant achievement in our national life,” he said.

At the same time, he acknowledged that the void left by her death is irreplaceable. “We have lost her forever, and that grief will remain with us,” he said.

Begum Khaleda Zia passed away early Tuesday morning at Evercare Hospital at the age of 80. Her namaz-e-janaza was held on Manik Mia Avenue on Wednesday and was attended by millions. She was later laid to rest beside her late husband, former President Ziaur Rahman, with full state honours.

BNP had nominated Khaleda Zia for three constituencies-Dinajpur-3, Feni-1 and Bogura-7-in the upcoming 13th parliamentary election, while also fielding alternative candidates due to her critical health condition.