BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has said there is no legal ground to stop or delay the upcoming parliamentary election following the death of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
Speaking to reporters at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office on Thursday, Salahuddin said the election process will continue as scheduled.
He explained that BNP had already nominated alternative candidates for the seats where Khaleda Zia was named, and those candidates will become the party’s official nominees if their papers are approved.
Salahuddin said the legal situation would have been different if Khaleda Zia had died after the scrutiny of nomination papers or after election symbols were allocated.
In that case, questions about delaying the election might have come up.
However, he said she passed away before the scrutiny process began, meaning her nomination papers will not be considered valid.
He added that if the nomination papers of the alternative candidates pass scrutiny, they will contest the election on behalf of BNP in those constituencies.
When asked about BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, Salahuddin said he must remain mentally strong despite losing his mother.
He said Tarique Rahman is a political leader and has a responsibility to stay firm for the sake of the country.
Salahuddin also paid tribute to Khaleda Zia, saying she dedicated her entire life, family and personal happiness to the struggle for democracy.
He said her love for the country and its people was beyond comparison.
He said that although she suffered greatly in her personal life, she achieved a position of honour that very few people in the world reach.
According to Salahuddin, BNP will move forward by carrying her sacrifices and ideals to build a strong, democratic and fair Bangladesh.
He said Khaleda Zia was not only a leader of BNP or Bangladesh, but also a symbol of democracy for people around the world.
At the same time, he said the loss she has left behind can never be filled.
Begum Khaleda Zia died early Tuesday morning at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka at the age of 80.
She was nominated by BNP to contest three seats—Dinajpur-3, Feni-1 and Bogura-7—in the upcoming 13th parliamentary election. Due to her serious illness, the party had also nominated alternative candidates for those constituencies.
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