Mirza Fakhrul resigns as BNP Secretary General, Minister

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has resigned from his party posts and ministerial position after being nominated as the ruling party’s candidate for the country’s 23rd presidential election.

Fakhrul has stepped down as both BNP secretary general and a member of its Standing Committee, while also relinquishing his position as minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi confirmed the decision to journalists on Thursday (August 13), saying Fakhrul chose to give up his organisational and government positions after receiving the party’s nomination for president.

The decision came shortly after a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee earlier Thursday, where the party finalised Fakhrul’s candidacy for the presidential election. He resigned from his party and ministerial responsibilities immediately after his nomination was confirmed.

Fakhrul has been one of the BNP’s key figures for more than a decade. He became the party’s acting secretary general in 2011 and was formally elected secretary general at the BNP’s national council in 2016. Since then, he has played a central role in the party’s organisational and political activities.

He also emerged as one of the party’s principal leaders during periods when BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was imprisoned and party acting chairman Tarique Rahman was living abroad. During the previous Awami League government, Fakhrul was detained and faced several political cases at different times.

Despite prolonged political pressure, he remained a prominent figure in steering the BNP’s organisational affairs, earning a reputation as one of the party’s senior leaders.

Fakhrul was elected as a member of parliament from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency in the 13th parliamentary election. He subsequently joined Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government as minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives.

Under the presidential election schedule, voting is set to take place on August 20 in the National Parliament’s session hall. Fakhrul’s nomination formally clarifies the ruling BNP’s position in the presidential race.