The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is set to hold a meeting of its highest policymaking body, the National Standing Committee, on Saturday evening to discuss the nomination of the party’s candidate for the presidency, the country’s current political situation, and various organisational matters.

According to multiple party sources, the upcoming presidential election is expected to be the central focus of the meeting. The party leadership is reportedly planning to complete the election of the next President within August.

The meeting is expected to deliberate on who should be nominated as the party’s presidential candidate. However, senior leaders indicated that the final decision on the matter may ultimately be left to BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, given the constitutional and political significance of the office.

Speaking to reporters in Bogura on July 26, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the decision on whether the party would nominate a partisan or non-partisan candidate would be taken by the National Standing Committee in accordance with the Constitution and existing laws.

Although no senior BNP leader has publicly commented on potential candidates, party insiders say Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has emerged as the frontrunner. His long tenure as Secretary General, leadership during political crises, clean public image, and acceptability beyond party lines have made him a strong contender.

Other names being discussed within the party and in political circles include Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan, and Nazrul Islam Khan.

BNP policymakers believe the presidency is not merely a ceremonial office but plays a crucial constitutional role in maintaining state continuity and addressing political crises. As a result, the party intends to approach the nomination process with caution.

Following the resignation of President Mohammad Shahabuddin on July 24, Speaker of Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmed assumed the role of Acting President in accordance with the Constitution. The Constitution requires that a new President be elected within 90 days of the office becoming vacant.

Party sources also noted that BNP’s earlier proposal, included in its 31-point reform agenda and the July Charter, to elect the President through a joint vote of both houses of Parliament will not be implemented this time. Instead, the election will proceed under the existing constitutional framework, under which the candidate nominated by the parliamentary majority is expected to be elected.

With BNP holding a majority in Parliament, political analysts believe the party’s nominee is likely to become the country’s next President.

Besides the presidential election, the Standing Committee is also expected to review the current political situation, including organisational preparations amid heightened political activities surrounding the anniversary of the July mass uprising and recent clashes involving the National Citizen Party (NCP) in different parts of the country.