Staff Correspondent: After 35 years, the 23rd President of Bangladesh has been elected through a direct vote. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the candidate nominated by the ruling BNP, won the election by securing 255 votes. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, MP, served as the Secretary General of the BNP and as the Minister of Local Government.
His rival candidate was Dr. Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmad, Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami. Md. Shahabuddin—who had been elected as the 22nd President with the nomination of the now-ousted Awami League—resigned on July 24, with approximately one and a half years of his term still remaining.
Following the announcement of the presidential election schedule earlier this month, the BNP nominated its Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, for the post of President. Upon taking the formal oath of office, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will become a resident of Bangabhaban for the next five years.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir—known as a politician with a ‘clean image’ who led the BNP during its most difficult times—has traversed a long journey, rising from the grassroots level to the highest office of the state: the Presidency. His path began with student politics, followed by a stint in teaching, before he left that profession to return to the political arena. Upon entering politics, he was elected Chairman of the Thakurgaon Municipality. From serving as a municipal chairman, he has now been elected to the highest office of the state—that of the President.
