Former state minister for information and member of Bangladesh’s constitution drafting committee, Professor Abu Sayeed, has officially joined the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The announcement was made on Wednesday at the BNP chairperson’s political office in Gulshan, Dhaka, where he presented flowers to the party’s secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. A day earlier, Sayeed had met with BNP chairperson Tarique Rahman.

Professor Abu Sayeed previously served as a member of parliament from Pabna-1 in 1973 and 1996 and held the position of state minister for information under Sheikh Hasina’s government in 1996. Over the years, he contested elections under various political banners, including BAKSAL, Awami League, as an independent, and as a Gono Forum candidate in 2018.

Explaining his decision, Sayeed said that given the rise of extremism, he believes BNP is the only party that should be advanced. He also confirmed submitting his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the upcoming national election from Pabna-1, adding that he will remain in the race if the party instructs him to do so.