Mirza Fakhrul elected 23rd president of Bangladesh

File Photo: Collected

BNP-nominated candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected Bangladesh’s 23rd president.

Fakhrul bagged 255 votes, defeating his rival Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, the 11-party alliance-nominated candidate, who secured 88 votes.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, who is also the election returning officer, announced the results after the balloting in the much-anticipated presidential election ended at 5pm on Thursday at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

The Election Commission will publish the results in an official gazette later in the day.

Earlier, the balloting began at 2pm and continued for three hours without any break.

At the beginning of the balloting, the acting president, the speaker, the prime minister, and presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir cast their votes.

Acting president Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and acting speaker Kayser Kamal cast their votes at 2:10pm, while Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Mirza Fakhrul cast theirs at 2:11pm.

Before the balloting, CEC Nasir Uddin briefed the lawmakers about the voting procedure.

Voting for the presidential election was held for the first time in 35 years with more than one candidate contesting the post.

With BNP holding an absolute majority in parliament, Fakhrul was widely expected to be elected as the head of state.

Under Article 70 of the constitution, lawmakers will lose their seats if they vote for a candidate contrary to their party’s decision.

Meanwhile, Bangabhaban is making preparations for the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected president on Friday evening.

The last contested presidential election was held on 8 October 1991, when BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury to become the country’s 11th president.

Abdur Rahman Biswas secured 172 votes, while Badrul Haider Chowdhury received 92.