Bangladesh to hold first presidential election in 35 years on August 20

Voting will take place for the first time in a presidential election after a gap of 35 years

Published - August 19, 2026 10:35 pm IST - Dhaka

PTI

Bangladesh will hold its presidential election on Thursday (August 20, 2026), with lawmakers set to choose between the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) stalwart Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the 11-party Opposition alliance candidate Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed.

The voting will take place for the first time in a presidential election after a gap of 35 years.

According to the Election Commission, voting will be held at the Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on August 20.

Candidates

• Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir (78) – candidate of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
• Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, Bir Bikram – chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), contesting as the candidate of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance

The Election Commission declared their nomination papers valid on August 16.

Alamgir's Appeal to Lawmakers

Speaking at the BNP parliamentary party meeting on Wednesday, Mr. Alamgir appealed to BNP lawmakers to vote for him in Thursday's election.

"If I have made any mistake or unintentionally hurt anyone during my tenure, I seek forgiveness," said Mr. Alamgir, who has served as BNP's senior joint secretary general, acting secretary general, and secretary general.

Several lawmakers present at the meeting said the veteran leader became emotional and broke down in tears several times within a few minutes. Mr. Alamgir pledged that he would never compromise on the country's independence and sovereignty.

Oath and Transition

The president-elect will take the oath as Bangladesh's new President on Friday evening at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban, The Daily Star reported, citing sources at the Secretariat and Parliament Secretariat.

Background

The presidential election was necessitated after Mohammed Shahabuddin, a close aide of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned last month on health grounds before completing his five-year tenure.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is also the BNP chairman, declared Mr. Alamgir — a longtime secretary general of the BNP and a close ally of former premier Khaleda Zia — as the ruling party's presidential candidate.

Under the Constitution, a new President must be elected within 90 days of the office falling vacant. Parliamentary Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is currently serving as acting president, as required under the Constitution following a vacancy in the office.

The Constitution provides for the president to be elected by Parliament.

Electoral Outlook

The BNP, which was voted to power in the February 12 elections, currently commands a two-thirds majority in Parliament, putting Mr. Alamgir in a strong position to secure the presidency.

If elected, Mr. Alamgir will become Bangladesh's 23rd President. He has been one of the BNP's most prominent leaders for more than two decades, having served as acting secretary general from 2011 before formally taking over the post in 2016. He played a prominent role in leading the BNP during the imprisonment of its then-chairperson and former Prime Minister Zia and the absence of Rahman, who was abroad at the time.

Role of the President

The president is largely a ceremonial head of state under Bangladesh's parliamentary system, with key constitutional powers including appointing the Prime Minister and the chief justice. Though the President is the supreme commander of the armed forces, those powers are generally exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Political analysts, however, said the presidency could assume greater significance under the caretaker government system recently reintroduced to oversee general elections, when the president's power would increase significantly in commanding the armed forces during such a period. The analysts also opine that Mr. Alamgir's nomination could be a well-calculated move by the BNP, which in its election manifesto had made related promises.