BNP leaders file nomination in place of Khaleda

BNP leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, have rushed to fill the possible vacuum in three constituencies as a court order appears to shut Khaleda Zia from the race to parliament, report agencies.

They turned in nominations to compete in the parliamentary election as alternative candidates in the constituencies earlier allocated for the party chief.

The High Court ruled that the convicts sentenced to more than two years in jail cannot contest the elections. The order dimmed the prospects of Khaleda's participation in the election.

Mirza Fakhrul, BNP's secretary general, filed his nomination form for the Bogura-6 seat in addition to Thakurgaon-1, his own constituency.

BNP leader Morshed Milton filed a nomination paper for contesting from Bogura-7, a stronghold for Khaleda.

Jubo Dal leader Rafiqul Islam Majnu will run for the Feni-1 seat on behalf of the BNP chairperson.

Meanwhile, BNP has formed an election steering committee headed by its standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan to oversee the election activities of the party, reports UNB.

The committee has been formed as per the party high command's decision, BNP chairperson's media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan said on Wednesday.

He said the names of other members of the committee will be announced very soon.

Nazrul, also the coordinator of the 20-party alliance, did not file his nomination to contest the election from any seat as he was made the chief of the BNP election steering committee, party insiders said.