BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected Bangladesh’s new President after defeating opposition candidate Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed in the country’s first contested presidential election in 35 years.
The 78-year-old ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party candidate secured 255 votes, while Oli Ahmed, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and the nominee of an 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, received 88 votes.
Chief Election Commissioner and Returning Officer AMM Nasir Uddin announced the results after 343 of the 349 registered voters cast their ballots. Six lawmakers did not participate in the vote.
Alamgir To Be Sworn In Friday
Alamgir will take the oath of office on Friday evening at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban, the official presidential residence. His election is significant because Bangladesh’s presidency has generally been filled through consensus or uncontested elections in recent years. The last time the country witnessed a contested presidential poll was in 1991.
Vote Held After Shahabuddin Resigned
The presidential election was triggered by the resignation of Mohammed Shahabuddin, who stepped down last month citing health reasons before completing his five-year term. Shahabuddin, who had been associated with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, left the presidency following the political upheaval that brought the BNP to power.
Alamgir’s election now gives the ruling BNP control of the presidency after a rare contested vote that signals a major departure from Bangladesh’s recent political tradition.
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