The Bosnian-Herzegovinian participating broadcaster, Radio and Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT), internally selected its entry for the contest.

Performing during the show in position 22, "Lejla" was announced among the top 10 entries of the semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 20 May.

BHRT directly invited composers to submit songs in one of the official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina up until 23 January 2006.

[5] The twelve-member selection committee that determined Hari Mata Hari and the song to be performed at the contest, which was written by Željko Joksimović, Fahrudin Pecikoza and Dejan Ivanović, consisted of members of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest: Dejan Kukrić, Ninoslav Verber, Vesna Andree-Zaimović, Ivan Stojanović, Nermin Durmo, Elvir Leme, Slavi Ma, Milkica Grubor, Sabina Bačvić-Zečević, Ines Mrenica, Srđan Petković and Dženita Jusufbegović.

The song, under three working titles "Lejla", "Sakrivena" and "Zar bi mogla ti drugog voljeti", was presented during a television special entitled BH Eurosong 2006 on 5 March 2006, which was held at the Sarajevo National Theatre and hosted by Mario Drmać [bs] and Dejan Kukrić.

[10] According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country, the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the ten highest placed finishers in the 2005 contest are required to qualify from the semi-final on 18 May 2006 in order to compete for the final on 20 May 2006; the top ten countries from the semi-final progress to the final.

At the end of the semi-final, Bosnia and Herzegovina was announced as having finished in the top 10 and subsequently qualifying for the grand final.