Dhaka: The Election Commission (EC) announced the validation of candidacies for BNP’s Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Col (retd) Oli Ahmad of the opposition Jamaat-led 11-party alliance for the upcoming presidential election, which is scheduled for August 20. The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), AMM Nasir Uddin, confirmed the legitimacy of their nomination papers following scrutiny at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka.
According to United News of Bangladesh, EC officials conducted a thorough examination of the nomination documents, initially scrutinizing and validating the papers submitted by Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, followed by those of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Leaders from both political factions were present during the process, and EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed affirmed the validity of both submissions.
The election schedule stipulates that candidates may withdraw their nominations by August 18 at 4 PM. Should multiple candidates remain, voting will take place in the Jatiya Sangsad’s session chamber from 2 PM to 5 PM on August 20, with 249 Members of Parliament eligible to cast their votes.
In total, three nomination papers were submitted: one for Mirza Fakhrul and two for Oli Ahmad. With Oli Ahmad’s first paper validated, the second automatically became invalid. Given BNP’s parliamentary majority, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is anticipated to be elected as Bangladesh’s 23rd president.
A BNP delegation, led by Standing Committee member Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, participated in the scrutiny. Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, another committee member, expressed satisfaction with Mirza Fakhrul’s candidacy validation, indicating readiness for the August 20 vote.
Addressing concerns over Article 70 of the Constitution, which restricts MPs from voting against party decisions, Gayeshwar suggested that the issue could be resolved through parliamentary discussions post-election. Meanwhile, Abdul Baten of the Jamaat-led alliance emphasized the need for amending Article 70 to allow MPs greater voting freedom, advocating for democratic continuity in the presidential electoral process.