The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) made a crucial amendment to its constitution, providing that the post of senior vice-chairman alongside the Chairperson of the party will be open for contest.
The post will be chosen at the BNP National Council, with the next one (sixth tri-annual council) due on
March 19.
The decision to amend the BNP constitution was taken at a high-power meeting held at Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office on Wednesday night, party officials said on Thursday.
But they said in the coming council Khaleda's position as Chairperson is likely to remain unscathed while Tarique may face challenge from strong BNP contenders.
BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with the announcement at a press conference at the party central office at Nayapaltan in the capital on Thursday. Previously only the chairperson post could be elected. Now the constitution has been amended so that the committee can also elect the party's senior vice-chairman, currently Tarique Rahman occupied the post, he added.
Tarique, Khaleda's elder son, has been living in London for the last eight years after he was released in parole. He is wanted in connection with several cases of corruption and abuse of power - and faces possible arrest at home.
Fakhrul said that at least 11 subcommittees had been formed to make the upcoming 6th national council of the party successful.
About the venue of the council, Fakhrul said, "We are expecting to stage our national council either at Engineers' Institute, Suhrawardy Udyan or at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre."
A three-member election commission headed by the party's standing committee member Jamir Uddin Sircar has been formed to make the election of this two posts a success. The two other members are party vice chairman Harun-or-Rashid and executive committee member Aminul Haq.
 He said the commission will announce the election schedule at the right time and take other necessary steps in this regard.