Rashed Khan, General Secretary of Gono Odhikar Parishad, is set to join BNP to contest the upcoming national election as a candidate of the 'Sheaf of Paddy' symbol.

Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur confirmed the development on Friday night, saying Rashed Khan will contest the election from Jhenaidah-4 constituency as a BNP candidate.

“As part of an election-winning strategy, our party has decided that Gono Odhikar Parishad General Secretary Rashed Khan will contest the election from Jhenaidah-4 with the Sheaf of Paddy symbol,” Nur said in a post on his Facebook page.

He said he himself will contest the election from Patuakhali-3 constituency using his party’s own symbol ‘Truck’.

Nurul Haque Nur said Rashed Khan will formally resign from Gono Odhikar Parishad, take primary membership of the BNP and contest the election as a BNP candidate.

Explaining the decision, Nur said during what he described as a period of “fascist rule”, the BNP and around 42 political parties and alliances, including Gono Odhikar Parishad, carried out a simultaneous movement under a single-point demand to bring down the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

“Since then, discussions have continued on rebuilding the state after the fall of fascism and carrying out state reforms. We agreed to contest the election together and form a future national government together,” he said.

Nur said that under existing election rules, alliance partners may not be able to win seats everywhere using their own symbols.

“That is why many partners of the simultaneous movement have decided to contest the election using the BNP symbol by taking BNP primary membership,” he added.

He said Gono Odhikar Parishad has given permission to Rashed Khan to contest the election with the Sheaf of Paddy as part of a broader electoral strategy.

“He will resign from his party post and contest the election after joining the BNP. We will soon appoint an acting general secretary,” Nur said.