Mirza Fakhrul elected 23rd President of Bangladesh with 255 votes
His rival, opposition Jamaat-led alliance nominee Oli Ahmed, secured 88 votes.
BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected Bangladesh's 23rd president today (20 August), winning 255 votes in the first presidential election since 1991 to feature more than one candidate.
The BNP candidate won the parliamentary vote held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, where 343 of the 349 eligible MPs cast ballots. All 343 votes were declared valid.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, who also served as the returning officer, announced the result after the ballots were counted following the end of voting at 5pm.
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According to the CEC, 349 ballots were prepared, and 343 were used. Four ballots were replaced due to errors, in accordance with Rule 10 of the 1991 election rules. No ballot was declared invalid.
Oli Ahmad, the candidate backed by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, received 88 votes.
PM Tarique, Opposition Leader Shafiqur congratulate Fakhrul
Immediately after the result was announced, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman congratulated Fakhrul with a rose.
Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman then went over to congratulate the newly elected president. Fakhrul also rose from his seat and exchanged greetings with Shafiqur and other lawmakers.
Other BNP lawmakers also went over to congratulate Fakhrul, shaking hands and embracing him.
Voting process
The presidential election proceedings began at 2pm with the recitation of the Quran.
At the start of voting, the CEC's microphone malfunctioned briefly. He later announced the names of the two candidates and explained the voting procedure to the lawmakers.
Election officials then distributed ballot papers to lawmakers at their respective seats. Lawmakers signed their full names at a designated place, marked their preferred candidate and deposited their ballots in designated ballot boxes.
Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed cast the first vote, followed by Acting Speaker Kaiser Kamal, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and other lawmakers. Fakhrul also cast his own vote.
Three ballot boxes were used in phases to avoid congestion and ensure a smooth voting process.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni invited Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam to observe the vote counting.
Six MPs did not vote
Six of the 349 eligible lawmaker did not cast their ballots.
BNP Standing Committee member and Dhaka-8 lawmaker Mirza Abbas was abroad for medical treatment and could not vote, according to parliamentary sources.
Independent lawmaker of Brahmanbaria-2 Rumeen Farhana was also absent from the chamber throughout the voting period.
Gazi Nazrul Islam, elected from Satkhira-4, was also absent from the vote. Jamaat expelled him after a controversial video involving him surfaced on social media.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh's lone lawmaker, Maulana Mahmudul Hossain Waliullah, also abstained from the election. His party had earlier announced that it would not participate in the presidential vote.
First contested presidential election since 1991
Today's election was the first presidential poll since 1991 to feature more than one candidate.
The subsequent presidential elections in 1996, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2018 and 2023 did not require voting as each had a single candidate.
Fakhrul's victory was widely expected as the BNP holds a two-thirds majority in the 13th National Parliament.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said Fakhrul is scheduled to take the oath as president at Bangabhaban at 7:30pm tomorrow.
Live Updates:
5:21pm
Mirza Fakhrul elected president with 255 votes
BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected Bangladesh's 23rd president, securing 255 votes in today's presidential election.
His rival, Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, the candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, received 88 votes.
The chief election commissioner declared Fakhrul the winner after counting the ballots.
5:00pm
Vote counting underway
Voting in the presidential election ended at 5pm today at the Jatiya Sangsad.
The counting of votes began soon after, with Election Commission officials set to announce the result after the counting is completed.
4:40pm
PM watches presidential vote from his seat in JS chamber
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spent more than an hour watching the presidential election voting from his seat in the Jatiya Sangsad chamber today.
BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was seated beside him, followed by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and veteran MP Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.
He left the chamber at 3:13pm and went to his office.
4:20pm
Islami Andolan's lone MP to abstain from presidential vote
Islami Andolan Bangladesh's lone lawmaker, Maulana Mahmudul Hossain Waliullah, will not vote in today's presidential election.
In a statement sent to the media today, party Secretary General Maulana Gazi Ataur Rahman said Islami Andolan would abstain from voting because the government had deviated from the consensus reached in the July Charter on the presidential election.
The party is led by Charmonai Pir Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim.
3:51pm
President's office would be more prestigious without Article 70: Nahid
The office of the president would carry greater prestige if Article 70 of the Constitution did not restrict lawmakers from voting independently, Opposition Chief Whip and NCP Convener Nahid Islam said today.
He made the remarks while speaking to reporters at the Jatiya Sangsad around 2pm, shortly after voting began for the country's 23rd president.
3:45pm
Home minister casts vote, calls presidential election a democratic milestone
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed today said the country's first contested presidential election in 35 years marks a return to democratic competition and a new beginning for democracy.
Speaking to reporters at the Jatiya Sangsad before voting, he said both the ruling party and the opposition had fielded candidates, unlike in previous presidential elections, which were decided uncontested.
"After 35 years, the presidential election is being held in accordance with the Constitution. I hope the country will witness the democratic practice people expect, and that this will mark a new beginning for our democracy," he added.
3:30pm
Voting ongoing. MPs from both sides of the aisle are peacefully casting their ballots.
2:29pm
BNP leaders, the majority, are shaking hands with their presidential nominee Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir one by one after voting.
2:26pm
Why Oli Ahmad was absent from voting
Jamaat-led 11-party alliance presidential candidate Col (retd) Oli Ahmad was absent from the Jatiya Sangsad chamber during today's voting as he is not a member of the 13th National Parliament.
Under the Constitution, only lawmakers are eligible to vote in the presidential election. BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a lawmaker from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency, cast his vote.
2:25pm
MPs of the 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami are voting. Deputy opposition leader Abdullah Muhammad Taher, NCP lawmakers Hasnat Abdullah and Akhter Hossen, among others, have voted one by one alongside the female reserved seat MPs.
Voting continues peacefully so far, with MPs posing for photographs for the media.
2:15pm
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal and Opposition Leader Dr Shafiqur Rahman have voted. All parliamentarians are currently voting in a joyous environment so far. A ballot box has been placed right in the middle of Parliament, where the lawmakers are voting one by one.
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed voted first, followed by Kaiser Kamal. They then exchanged greetings with the opposition leader and others after voting.
Then, the Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman voted with the BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. Then, Mirza Fakhrul voted for the presidency. Later, the BNP candidate went to the opposition members and exchanged greetings.
2:00pm
After BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and other ministers arrived at the National Parliament. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin addressed the assembly. He is serving as the election officer in the presidential election.
The CEC announced the names of the two presidential candidates, their proposers and supporters. He explained the rules on how members of parliament will vote. He talked about signing their full names on the ballot paper. He explained how to place the ballot paper in the ballot box. He said that the counting of votes will begin after 5pm.
The CEC said that according to Article 48 of the Constitution, the president will be elected by the votes of the members of parliament. According to the Presidential Election Act, 1991, two candidates are contesting this election.
According to the initials of the Bengali alphabet, the name of LDP Chairman Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad is first on the ballot. His proposer is the Leader of the Opposition and MP Shafiqur Rahman, and the supporting NCP lawmaker Abdullah Al Amin. The second candidate, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, is proposed by lawmaker Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan and the supporting parliamentarian Gayeshwar Chandra Roy.
Regarding the voting procedure, the CEC said that the supporting officials will deliver the ballot paper to each MP. Before accepting the ballot, the concerned member must ensure whether his name is printed on the ballot paper.
The names of the two candidates will be printed on the ballot paper. The voter will have to sign his full name in the designated space opposite the name of the preferred candidate and vote. After that, the ballot should be deposited in the designated ballot box.
The last parliamentary presidential election was held in 1991, after the parliamentary system of government was restored. The next seven presidents were elected unopposed. This is only the second time MPs are casting votes to elect a president.
The ballot is not secret. MPs will write the full name of their preferred candidate beside the candidate's name on the ballot and sign it.
MPs will cast their votes from their respective seats. Acting President and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Acting Speaker Kaisar Kamal will also vote as MPs, with separate seating arrangements made for them.
The new president is scheduled to take the oath at Bangabhaban at 7pm tomorrow (21 August).
Fakhrul, being an MP, can vote in the election. His parliamentary seat will become vacant once he assumes office as president. Oli is not an MP and therefore cannot vote.
Mohammad Shahabuddin, who was elected president during the Awami League government, resigned from office on 24 July. Under the Constitution, a new president must be elected within 90 days of the post becoming vacant.
