- BNP Candidate Secures Parliamentary Majority in First Contested Presidential Election in 35 Years
Islamabad: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected the country’s 23rd president following a parliamentary vote, The Times of India reported.
According to the report, Alamgir secured 255 votes from members of parliament, defeating Oli Ahmad, the candidate nominated by the opposition alliance, who received 88 votes.
The election marks the first contested presidential election in Bangladesh in 35 years, with two candidates formally nominated for the country’s highest constitutional office. The last presidential election conducted through a parliamentary vote was held in 1991.
Alamgir succeeds Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was elected president in 2023 and resigned on July 24, citing health reasons. Under Bangladesh’s Constitution, the vacant presidency was required to be filled through a parliamentary election within 90 days.
Although the president serves as Bangladesh’s head of state, the office carries largely ceremonial powers. Executive authority rests primarily with the prime minister and the government. In accordance with the constitutional framework, the president generally acts on the advice of the prime minister and the government and does not exercise independent executive authority.
BY: The Times Union
