BNP to finalise 200 candidates by this month

The BNP will finalise candidates for 200 constituencies within this month ahead of the national polls in February, party insiders said.

The party said there are no major problems in about 150 constituencies where candidates are mostly settled, while around 100 remained "problematic" due to internal rivalries and multiple nomination seekers.

Meanwhile, BNP will decide through discussions how to handle the remaining 50 seats.

These issues were discussed at a Standing Committee meeting on Monday night at the party chairperson's Gulshan office, attended by senior leaders.

Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman joined the meeting virtually from London.

Several members urged the party to announce the list soon to end grassroots confusion, warning that delays could weaken campaign preparations. Multiple aspirants are still competing for nominations in nearly every constituency, they said.

To expedite the process, organisational secretaries last month requested the high command to complete selections quickly. On Monday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir met aspirants from Manikganj, Narayanganj, and Cumilla at the Gulshan office.

According to party sources, Tarique has already conducted five surveys to assess candidates' popularity and electability, and sought feedback from divisional secretaries. Based on these assessments, the party identified about 100 constituencies where finalising nominations remained difficult.

To resolve disputes, contenders from those areas were summoned to Dhaka and instructed, under Tarique's directive, to work collectively behind whoever is officially nominated, insiders said.

Following these efforts, the BNP has begun quietly signalling individual candidates in each constituency. The process is being conducted under strict confidentiality, with the high command barring disclosure to rival aspirants until the election schedule is announced.

The party's Parliamentary Board will later give final approval.

This cautious approach, however, has sparked confusion in some constituencies where several contenders remain active, sources said.

With the Awami League currently "restricted from political activities", BNP now considers Jamaat-e-Islami its main competitor in the polls. Jamaat has already announced its candidates and begun campaigning.

At the same meeting, BNP leaders also discussed the Election Commission's plan to prepare a panel of polling officers by the end of October. They expressed concern that many listed were previously linked to Islami Chhatra Shibir and may sympathise with Jamaat, warning that such bias could affect electoral neutrality.