BNP Standing Committee member and Chairman of the party’s Election Steering Committee, Nazrul Islam Khan, said Tuesday that the party will vote “yes” if a referendum is held on the upcoming election and constitutional reforms.
“We have always demanded reforms first. Voting ‘yes’ in a referendum is the BNP’s decision,” he told reporters after meeting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission building in Agargaon.
Nazrul said BNP had consistently supported qualitative reforms of the state and proposed increasing the number of reserved seats for women in the national parliament. Criticizing other parties, he added: “While we speak about women’s representation, many parties—such as Jamaat—did not nominate a single woman. The BNP genuinely believes in women’s empowerment.”
During the meeting, the BNP delegation raised concerns over the cancellation of candidacies. “The Constitution clearly states that anyone who renounces dual citizenship is eligible to contest elections. However, in many cases, returning officers are canceling the nominations of our candidates as well as those of other parties. We have urged the Commission to ensure that the matter does not become further complicated,” he said.
The four-member BNP delegation was led by Nazrul Islam Khan and included BNP Chairperson’s Advisory Council member Ismail Zabiullah, former acting secretary of the Election Commission Mohammad Zakaria, and BNP leader Ruhul Quddus Kajal.
