Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh through a competitive vote among Members of Parliament, marking the first contested presidential election in the country in 35 years.
The presidential election was held on Thursday (20 August) at the National Parliament Complex. After the voting concluded, the ballots were counted publicly, and the results were announced by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Officer A.M.M. Nasir Uddin.
In the election, BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir defeated Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmed, the candidate nominated by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance.
Out of 343 valid votes, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir secured 255 votes, while Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmed received 88 votes.
Announcing the results, CEC A.M.M. Nasir Uddin said that a total of 349 voters were eligible to cast their ballots. Among them, 343 votes were declared valid, while six ballots remained unused. Four ballots were replaced in accordance with electoral rules due to technical issues.
Following the announcement, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman congratulated the newly elected president by presenting him with a bouquet of red roses. The opposition leader and other Members of Parliament also extended their greetings to the new president.
During the voting process, Members of Parliament cast their votes by signing their full names and submitting ballots from their respective seats. Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed cast the first vote, followed by Acting Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and other lawmakers.
FP/R
