Dhaka, Nov 29 (bdnews24.com)–Leaders of BNP would be handpicked by the party's chairperson this time too like all former councils.

"According to the constitution, there is no provision for voting and there will not be any voting in the national council," Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, BNP's joint secretary general, said on Sunday.

The national council is scheduled for Dec 8.

"In this council, the chairperson would be elected through direct vote of the councillors in accordance with the previous constitution of the party," he told reporters at the party headquarters in Naya Paltan.

"The old committee would be automatically dissolved after the election."

"The newly elected chairperson will present the national executive committee, including the new standing committee, before the councillors."

According to the structure of the organisation, the highest position of chairperson will be put to vote only if there is more than one contender.

Party's office secretary Rizvi Ahmed said they are taking all necessary preparations for the election of the chairperson.

An election committee has been already formed led by the party's senior leader, TH Khan. The election schedule for the post of chairperson could be declared by Dec 1-2.

In response to a question, Goyeshwar said, "In the party constitution there is provision only for polls to the post of chairperson, not for secretaries general or the national standing committee members.

"The chairperson will give nominations for those positions which will be later presented in the council session."

He continued, "If the constitution is amended in the council session, then the amended constitution will be followed from the next council. This council will be held according to the existing constitution."

The subcommittee on amendment of the party constitution has received proposals from the grassroots for holding elections to the posts of secretary generals in the upcoming council.

The report by the subcommittee's convenor Tariqul Islam to the chairperson also contained this proposal. But the standing committee rejected the proposal.

Former secretary Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan was expelled from the party for proposing to curbing the chairperson's power due to pressure from the former military-backed caretaker government.

Following expulsion of Bhuiyan and joint secretary general Ashraf Hossain, their followers were referred to as 'reformists'.

The council of main opposition BNP, one of the two major political parties, is being held after 16 years.

Khaleda Zia was re-elected chairperson in the Sept 1, 1993 council. She took the position of chairperson in 1983 from then chairman Abdus Sattar. The position has been renamed chairperson since.

The party's vice chairman and the then vice president of the country, Abdus Sattar, took the highest party office following the assassination of president Ziaur Rahman at Chittagong circuit house on May 30, 1981.

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