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The ruling BNP has initiated efforts to form new committees for its three most prominent wings, Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Swecchasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal, as part of a broader plan to strengthen the party’s organisational base ahead of the national council and upcoming local government elections. Recommended Stories
The proposed leadership panels are now awaiting final approval from party Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, several leaders of the three key wings and senior leaders, told the Daily Sun on Wednesday.
Priority has been given to dedicated, capable and tested young leaders, who have a reputation and acceptance among workers and supporters at the grassroots level across the country, said two senior leaders of the party, seeking not to be named.
The BNP is preparing to hold its national council within this year. While a formal date has not been set for the programme, the party’s senior leaders, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, have hinted that the council will
likely be held by October or November 2026.
Meanwhile, Mirza Fakhrul, also the LGRD minister, has said the much-awaited local government elections will also take place by this year to strengthen local government bodies to ensure better public services for citizens.
Considering these two major factors, senior leaders of the ruling party have extensively reviewed the list of potential future leaders, said a senior leader of the party.
Councils overdue for more than a decade
The BNP held its sixth national council on 19 March 2016, while Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal held its last council on 3 January 2017. A partial Jubo Dal committee was formed in 2022 and reconstituted in July 2024, while the JCD last held its central council in March 2024.
The councils of these associate bodies have become overdue under the party constitution, which requires the BNP and all its front and associate organisations to hold councils every three years.
The councils have remained overdue for more than a decade due to political, legal and organisational limitations during the Awami League administration, said a senior leader of the party. “It is a clear organisational crisis and to get rid of the situation, party Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, held a day-long meeting with leaders of Jubo Dal, Swecchasebak Dal and Chhatra Dal at Krishibid Institution Bangladesh in Dhaka on 9 May, where he hinted at announcing new committees for all front and associate wings immediately,” a BNP leader, who was present at the meeting, said, seeking anonymity.
“Such initiatives have instilled hope and enthusiasm in organisational activities of the party’s associate bodies,” Jubo Dal Central Office Secretary Nurul Islam Sohel said while talking to the Daily Sun on Wednesday.
He said that the central committees of the three important wings are expected to be announced immediately in line with the directives of the party chairman.
“I hope the party will hand over leadership to honest, capable, dedicated, good-mannered, popular and famous individuals who will work to take the country forward, upholding the party’s political spirit,” Sohel said.
He said the party’s policymakers are working to bring about qualitative changes in the leadership of these affiliated organisations as part of the party’s pledges to reshape the country’s political culture.
“Our party chairman, during the meeting at the Krishibid Institution auditorium, made it very clear that there will be no room for corrupt people in BNP politics. We have been asked not to provide shelter to any wrongdoers in our party,” he said.
The BNP has a total of 11 front and associate bodies and the councils of all these have remained overdue, which is hampering reorganisation activities and helping the emergence of offenders within the party at grassroots levels across the country, said a party standing committee member of the party, wishing not to be named.
As the government is planning to hold local bodies elections within this year, new committees across all units of the party must be announced immediately, the senior leader said, adding that leadership must be restructured by removing undesirable elements and troublemakers from the party.
“It is just waiting for the green signal from BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The new committees of the party’s three key vanguards could be announced at any time, subject to the prime minister’s approval,” the leader said.
While talking to the reporter, JCD General Secretary Nasir Uddin said, “Tenure of our committee has already ended and we are carrying out our duties and will be doing so until the new committee is announced.”
Responding to a query, he said the party chairman is the sole authority to select leaders and announce the central committees of all the party’s wings, in line with the party constitution.
“No possible date or time can specifically be said about the announcement of the central committees of the Chhatra Dal. It solely depends upon the party chairman. This is what happened during our former Chairperson, late Begum Khaleda Zia's time,” said the JCD leader.
Preventing reemergence of fascism in the educational institutions appears as the major challenge for the student organization, he said, adding that the future Chhatra Dal leader should be more committed, dedicated and proactive to face the challenge to ensure a congenial atmosphere in the country's educational institutions.
“We hope our next committee will be formed with such student leaders who will remain beside the common students in need and will work for peace and stability in the educational institutions nationwide,” he said.