Dhaka, Aug 2021: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-nominated candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected the country’s 23rd President, defeating opposition candidate Col (retd) Oli Ahmad in the nation’s first contested presidential election in 35 years.
Fakhrul secured an overwhelming 255 votes, while Oli Ahmad, the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance candidate, received 88 votes. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, who also served as the returning officer, announced the result after polling concluded at 5 p.m. local time on Thursday at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The Election Commission is expected to publish the official result in a gazette on Thursday, according to the election schedule. Voting began at 2 p.m. and continued for three hours without interruption.
Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and acting Speaker Kayser Kamal cast their votes at 2:15 p.m., followed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Fakhrul at 2:21 p.m. Shortly before the voting process began, CEC Nasir Uddin briefed MPs on the election procedure.
The presidential election was conducted through an open ballot, with all 349 lawmakers eligible to vote. Fakhrul’s victory had been widely anticipated because the BNP holds an absolute majority in Parliament. Under Article 70 of Bangladesh’s Constitution, lawmakers risk losing their seats if they vote against their party’s decision.
The 349 eligible voters included 247 BNP lawmakers, 77 Jamaat MPs, eight National Citizen Party MPs, eight independents, three Bangladesh Khalifat Majlis MPs and one member each from the Bangladeshi Jatiya Party-BJP, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolan, Khilafat Majlis, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party.
The ruling BNP-led camp had been expected to support Fakhrul, while the opposition alliance was backing Oli Ahmad. The election was necessitated after Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as president on July 24, prompting Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad to assume the role of acting president.
Under Article 123(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill a presidential vacancy caused by resignation must be held within 90 days.
Fakhrul is scheduled to take the oath of office at Bangabhaban on Friday, with preparations for the swearing-in ceremony already underway.
A veteran BNP leader, Fakhrul currently serves as the party’s Secretary General and has been associated with the organisation for several decades. He has held senior administrative and political responsibilities within the BNP and emerged as one of its most prominent leaders during years of opposition.
His political career has also unfolded during a particularly challenging period for the BNP, including the imprisonment of party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and the exile of Tarique Rahman.
The election marks a significant development in Bangladesh’s political history. It was the country’s first contested presidential election since October 8, 1991, when BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League nominee Badrul Huda Chowdhury by 172 votes to 97 to become Bangladesh’s 11th president.
Fakhrul’s election as president now places him at the centre of Bangladesh’s constitutional and political system at a significant juncture for the country, with the new administration expected to focus on governance, institutional stability and the implementation of its political agenda.
