Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the BNP was elected as Bangladesh's 23rd President with 255 votes, defeating Oli Ahmed. The poll marked the first contested presidential election in 35 years, following the resignation of Mohammad Shahabuddin.
Former Secretary General of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was on Thursday elected as the country's 23rd President, securing 255 votes in the presidential election held at the Jatiya Sangsad, the country's Parliament.
A Contested Election
Alamgir defeated Oli Ahmed, the candidate backed by the 11-party opposition alliance led by the far-right Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the country's first major student-led political party, National Citizen Party (NCP), who received 88 votes. A total of 343 members of Parliament cast their votes in the election, which was held from 2 pm to 5 pm (local time) under the supervision of Chief Election Commissioner ASM Nasir Uddin. The Chief Election Commissioner later announced the results declaring Alamgir as the newly elected President. The election marked the first time in 35 years that more than one candidate contested the Bangladeshi presidential election. In previous polls, opposition parties had not fielded candidates, leaving only a single candidate in the race.
BNP's Nomination Process
Alamgir's election came after he was nominated by the BNP as its presidential candidate last week. Following his nomination, he resigned as BNP Secretary General and as a member of the party's National Standing Committee.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced Alamgir's nomination after a meeting of the party's National Standing Committee held near the Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office at the Secretariat. He said the decision was taken following discussions with the Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, adding that Alamgir had been formally selected as the party's candidate for the presidency.
Acting President and Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Rahman, along with other members of Parliament, also cast their votes in Thursday's election. Although the Jatiya Sangsad has 350 seats, voting was conducted among 349 members as the election in one constituency had been suspended. Of the 349 MPs, 343 participated in the presidential election.
Vacancy and Constitutional Mandate
The election was necessitated by the resignation of Mohammad Shahabuddin, who stepped down from the presidency last month citing serious health complications. Shahabuddin, 76, had served as President since April 2023 and submitted his resignation to then-Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on July 24. The Speaker accepted the resignation and assumed the duties of the President in accordance with Article 54 of the Bangladesh Constitution.
Shahabuddin had assumed office as the 22nd President of Bangladesh on April 24, 2023, after being elected unopposed as the nominee of the then-ruling Awami League. His five-year term was originally scheduled to run until April 2028.
Under Bangladesh's Constitution, when the office of the President falls vacant, the Speaker assumes the duties of the head of state until a new President is elected. The Constitution also requires Parliament to elect a new President within 90 days of the vacancy. Thursday's election was therefore held within the constitutionally mandated period, bringing an end to the interim arrangement and paving the way for Alamgir to assume the presidency.
The election marks a major political transition for Bangladesh, with the senior BNP leader moving from the party's organisational leadership to the country's highest constitutional office. (ANI)
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