Rashed Khan joined the BNP.

Rashed Khan, the former General Secretary of the Gono Adhikar Parishad (People’s Rights Council), has formally joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The announcement was made on Saturday, 27 December, during a ceremonial event held at the BNP Chairperson’s office in Gulshan, Dhaka.

At the ceremony, Rashed Khan handed a bouquet of flowers to BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, officially marking his induction into the party.

Addressing the event, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir confirmed that Rashed Khan would contest the upcoming parliamentary elections as BNP’s nominated candidate for Jhenaidah-4, which includes Kaliganj and parts of the Sadar constituency. He will run under BNP’s electoral symbol, the “paddy sheaf” (ধানের শীষ). Fakhrul urged party members and supporters to extend their full support to Rashed Khan in the forthcoming election.

The move comes after the Gono Adhikar Parishad approved Rashed Khan’s decision to join BNP for electoral purposes. The party leadership and Rashed Khan coordinated this decision as part of a broader election strategy.

Speaking to the media on Friday night, Nurul Haque Nur, President of the Gono Adhikar Parishad, highlighted the collaborative political history of the two groups. “We have stood together in past movements to end authoritarian rule and worked to build a new Bangladesh after the fall of fascism. We aim to continue this partnership through future elections and ultimately in the formation of a national government,” he said.

He further clarified that, under current electoral rules, even allied groups must contest elections under their own symbols. “Since not every candidate can win in every constituency under our respective symbols, joining BNP and contesting under the ‘paddy sheaf’ has become a practical strategy for some of our movement partners. Rashed Khan is one such candidate, and we have authorised his BNP membership for this purpose,” Nur added.

Rashed Khan will formally resign from his position as General Secretary of the Gono Adhikar Parishad, with a successor soon to be appointed in an acting capacity. This strategic alignment is expected to strengthen the opposition coalition in the Jhenaidah-4 constituency ahead of the national elections.

Key Details of Rashed Khan’s BNP Induction: