Dhaka: BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has unofficially been elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh, defeating his lone rival Col (retd) Oli Ahmad by a significant margin in the presidential election held in the session chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Mirza Fakhrul secured 255 votes, while his opponent, Oli Ahmad, polled 88 votes. The election results were announced by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, who also served as the Returning Officer of the election. The announcement followed the conclusion of the balloting, which ended at 5:00 pm. The Election Commission subsequently issued a gazette notification declaring Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the President of Bangladesh.
Out of the 349 eligible voters, 343 valid votes were cast, with six lawmakers abstaining from voting. The lawmakers who did not participate include BNP lawmakers Mirza Abbas, Mostafa Kamal Pasha, Dr Muhammad Osman Farruk, independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana, Jamaat lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh lawmaker Md Oli Ullah. The newly elected President received congratulations from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who presented him with a red rose, symbolizing his victory.
The atmosphere in the Parliament Chamber turned celebratory as lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties congratulated Mirza Fakhrul by thumping their desks. Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman, along with other opposition lawmakers, exchanged greetings with the newly elected President, further highlighting the moment of unity in the chamber.
The election results will be published in an official gazette by the Election Commission, and preparations are underway for the oath-taking ceremony, scheduled to take place on Friday evening at Bangabhaban. The election saw participation from 349 voters, including lawmakers from various parties, with the ruling BNP holding a majority of 250 lawmakers and the opposition camp comprising 90 lawmakers.
This election marks the first contested presidential election since October 8, 1991, when BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury. Since then, successive presidential elections have seen uncontested candidates. The recent election was necessitated by the resignation of former President Mohammed Shahabuddin, with acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad temporarily assuming the role.
The election was conducted under the stipulations of Article 123(2) of the Constitution, requiring an election to fill the vacant office of the President within 90 days of the post becoming vacant.