Bangladesh elects BNP's Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as president in first contested vote since 1991

Published Aug 21, 04:33 AM UTC

On August 20, veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected Bangladesh's new president in the country's first contested presidential election since 1991. Alamgir received 255 votes in Parliament, defeating Liberal Democratic Party chairman Oli Ahmad, who won 88 votes with backing from an 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami. The election followed the resignation of former President Mohammed Shahabuddin on July 24, citing health problems amid political pressure after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024. The vote reopened debate over Article 70 of the Constitution, which can cost parliamentarians their seats if they vote against their party. A Supreme Court lawyer challenged the provision, but the High Court rejected the petition on August 18. Alamgir, who served as BNP secretary-general since 2016, becomes president six months after the BNP returned to power. Bangladesh's presidency is largely ceremonial but the president remains constitutional head of state and commander-in-chief.