Mirza Fakhrul Alamgir Elected Bangladesh’s 23rd President

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected as the president of Bangladesh by getting a majority vote in the parliamentary elections as this is a huge career leap for one of the senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders. Alamgir won 255 votes in the election held on 20th August against opposition leader Oli Ahmed who managed only 88 votes. This election was a very important event for the country since it was the first time in the last 35 years when Bangladesh had a contested presidential election which marked the end of temporary presidency after the resignation of former President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Wins Presidential Election

Presidential election took place at the Jatiya Sangsad, the parliament of Bangladesh, from 2pm to 5pm under the leadership of the Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin.

Out of 349 eligible MPs, 343 voted. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir got 255 votes while his opponent Oli Ahmed, supported by an 11 party opposition alliance consisting of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), got 88 votes.

The results were declared by the Chief Election Commissioner.

First Presidential Poll in Contention in 35 Years

The presidential election of Bangladesh grabbed attention due to more than one presidential candidate contesting the polls for the first time in 35 years.

Previously, the presidential election with parliamentary contest took place in 1991. In recent presidential elections, there had hardly been any contention with the exception of the election of Mohammed Shahabuddin in April 2023.

Alamgir was named as the presidential candidate of BNP last week. After being nominated, Alamgir quit the position of BNP Secretary General and the National Standing Committee of the party and then joined the presidential polls.

Need for a New President in Bangladesh

The election became a necessity when Mohammed Shahabuddin tendered his resignation on July 24 due to ill health.

Shahabuddin was serving as the 22nd President of Bangladesh since April 2023, who had been elected unopposed as the Awami League candidate. His term of five years would have continued up till April 2028.

After his resignation, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed acted as the President under Article 54 of the Constitution till another President gets elected.

Alamgir as BNP Secretary General to President

The nomination of Alamgir marks a marked transition from party politics to the top constitutional position in the country. He is a prominent member of the BNP and was also its Secretary General prior to being nominated for the presidency.

This development takes place against the backdrop of a marked political transition since the BNP is now in power after being in the opposition for several years. Though the President of Bangladesh is the Head of State, the main executive functions are carried out by the government under the Prime Minister.