BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir elected as new President of Bangladesh
Bangladesh has elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its 23rd President on Thursday. Alamgir secured 255 votes in the presidential election held at the Jatiya Sangsad (Bangladesh’s Parliament), defeating Oli Ahmed, who received 88 votes. A total of 343 lawmakers participated in the election, which was conducted between 2 pm and 5 pm local time under the supervision of Chief Election Commissioner ASM Nasir Uddin. The Chief Election Commissioner subsequently announced the results and formally declared Alamgir the country’s new President.
The election was notable because it was the first Bangladeshi presidential poll in 35 years to feature more than one candidate. Previous presidential elections had generally seen opposition parties refrain from nominating candidates, resulting in single-candidate contests.
Who is Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir?
Alamgir is a senior BNP leader who previously served as the party’s Secretary General. His elevation to the presidency comes after years in a prominent organisational role within the opposition party. The BNP nominated Alamgir as its presidential candidate last week. Following the nomination, he resigned as the party’s Secretary General as well as from the BNP’s National Standing Committee, formally ending his organisational responsibilities within the party before taking on the presidential contest.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced Alamgir’s nomination following a meeting of the party’s National Standing Committee held near the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office at the Secretariat. Rizvi said the decision was taken after discussions with Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, following which Alamgir was formally selected as the party’s candidate.
Alamgir defeats Oli Ahmed in multi-candidate contest
Alamgir’s principal challenger was Oli Ahmed, who was backed by an 11-party opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), described in the input as Bangladesh’s first major student-led political party. The final tally gave Alamgir a clear victory, with 255 lawmakers voting in his favour against Ahmed’s 88 votes.
Acting President and Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, Tarique Rahman and other members of Parliament also participated in the voting. Although the Jatiya Sangsad has 350 seats, voting was conducted among 349 members because the election in one constituency had been suspended. Of those 349 eligible lawmakers, 343 ultimately cast their votes.
Why was Bangladesh’s presidential election held?
The presidential election became necessary after Mohammad Shahabuddin resigned from office last month, citing serious health complications. 76-year-old Shahabuddin had been serving as Bangladesh’s President since April 2023. He submitted his resignation to then-Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on July 24, after which the Speaker accepted it and assumed the responsibilities of the President under Article 54 of the Bangladesh Constitution.
Shahabuddin had taken office as Bangladesh’s 22nd President on April 24, 2023, after being elected unopposed as the nominee of the then-ruling Awami League. His five-year term had originally been scheduled to continue until April 2028.
What does Bangladesh’s Constitution say?
Bangladesh’s Constitution provides for the Speaker of Parliament to assume the duties of the President when the office falls vacant. The constitutional framework also requires Parliament to elect a new President within 90 days of the vacancy. Thursday’s election was therefore held within the stipulated period, ending the interim arrangement and clearing the way for Alamgir to assume the country’s highest constitutional office.
