After Mohammed Shahabuddin’s resignation, debate within the ruling BNP has centred on one question: who will be Bangladesh’s next president?

According to party sources, the BNP is weighing tested and seasoned leaders for the role. Prime Minister and party chief Tarique Rahman has begun consulting senior colleagues to identify a candidate politically acceptable and free of major controversy.

As discussions remain at a preliminary stage, the party has neither formally shortlisted any candidate nor announced a timeframe for a decision. Still, several names have surfaced in internal conversations.

They include BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Nazrul Islam Khan, party sources said.

Dr Mahbub Ullah, a former Dhaka University professor, political analyst and economist, is also under consideration.

For more than 15 years, BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul has remained a key figure in the BNP’s political and organisational leadership.

From anti-government movements and elections to political dialogue and meetings with foreign representatives, he has often served as the party’s public face.

A large section of BNP leaders and activists believes his role in leading the party through years of political struggle, along with his standing within the party, makes him one of the strongest candidates for the presidency.

Fakhrul also enjoys support among sections of civil society and the younger generation.

However, becoming president would require him to avoid active party politics, prompting differing views within the BNP over his possible nomination.

Dr Khandaker Mosharraf is an academic and veteran politician. He was elected to parliament four times from Cumilla-2 and served as a minister.

Nazrul Islam Khan brings five decades of experience in student, labour and national politics and currently serves as the prime minister’s political adviser.

Their names had also been discussed informally after the BNP formed the government following the February parliamentary election and resigned the president, the sources said.

A senior BNP leader said experience, political standing, public acceptability and the absence of serious controversy would be among the main considerations in selecting the nominee.

A party leader familiar with the discussions said Tarique recently spoke with Nazrul Islam Khan about the presidential issue.

The source, however, would not disclose the details of their conversation or say whether Nazrul was formally offered the nomination.

Party sources added that health considerations are among the factors shaping the nomination process.

As speculation over Shahabuddin’s resignation intensified in recent days, the name of a serving secretary also surfaced in political circles.

Several BNP policymakers, however, opposed choosing a serving or former bureaucrat or any other figure from outside active politics.

They argued that the next president should be a senior BNP leader who understands the party’s political history and commands respect among its leaders and lawmakers.

One policymaker said the party would also consider whether a prospective candidate could perform the president’s constitutional duties impartially and avoid creating unnecessary disputes for the government.

The final decision rests with Tarique, who is expected to hold further consultations with members of the BNP Standing Committee and other senior leaders before settling on a nominee, according to the party leaders.

They said that although various names had circulated since the BNP assumed office, no formal selection process began because the presidency was not vacant at the time.

Under the constitution, a presidential election must be held within 90 days of a vacancy arising through death, resignation or removal.

BNP leaders said the constitutional deadline gives the party sufficient time to assess the possible candidates, consult its senior leadership and make a decision without haste.

They said the leadership would seek to avoid a divisive nomination, given the political sensitivity surrounding Shahabuddin’s resignation and the importance of the presidency during periods of political uncertainty.