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The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is actively preparing for upcoming local government elections, with a clear directive from Party Chairman Tarique Rahman to select a single, consensus candidate for each electoral area. This strategy aims to prevent internal dissent and the emergence of rebel candidates, a concern amplified by the expectation that elections may proceed without official party symbols.

Party policymakers fear that without electoral symbols, multiple BNP leaders could contest the same constituency, potentially splitting the party's support base and weakening its preferred candidate. Rahman has urged local leaders to initiate discussions on potential candidates well before the election schedule is announced, ensuring that all party units unite behind the chosen individual. This directive was issued during a nearly three-hour organizational meeting with leaders from Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, and Dinajpur districts.

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The BNP chairman advised everyone to work together on how the party can choose a single candidate for the local government elections.

In addition to candidate selection, Rahman has instructed the party to resolve internal disputes and complete the reorganization of the BNP and its affiliated bodies. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, BNP Secretary General, and other senior leaders attended the meeting. Panchagarh district BNP Member Secretary Farhad Hossain Azad confirmed that Rahman provided suggestions on election preparations and party reorganization, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts in choosing a single candidate.

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Local government elections are coming. We also discussed what our overall duties should be ahead of these elections.

Sources within the meeting indicated that while elections are anticipated without party symbols, candidates might still receive direct or indirect support from political parties. To avoid stalemates among pro-BNP candidates, Rahman stressed the importance of collective decision-making and maintaining unity once a candidate is selected. Mirza Faisal Amin, Thakurgaon district BNP President, noted that discussions also covered the party's overall duties ahead of the elections, with a desire to keep them "completely neutral... non-partisan and free from party influence."

The absence of party symbols presents a challenge for the BNP in officially identifying its preferred contenders. The party believes that early consensus is crucial to prevent disputes from escalating as the polls approach. The leadership plans to select candidates through consultations with local leaders, elected representatives, and organizational units, rather than imposing choices from the center. This process also aims to address grassroots divisions and strengthen coordination between central and local organizations.

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The elections will be completely neutral... We want to keep the local government elections completely non-partisan and free from party influence.