Oli Ahmed to contest presidential election but cannot vote himself

Retired Colonel Oli Ahmed, the presidential candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, will not be able to cast his own vote in the presidential election despite contesting the race.

As he is not a member of parliament, Oli Ahmed is not included in the voter list for the presidential election, which is made up of MPs.

He will also not be allowed to enter the Jatiya Sangsad chamber, where voting for the presidential election will take place.

Under the constitutional provisions governing the presidential election, members of parliament are the electors who cast their votes to elect the President.

Voting will take place in the presidential election for the first time in 35 years as more than one candidate is contesting the post.

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BNP and its like-minded parties have nominated former BNP Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as their candidate.

Retired Colonel Oli Ahmed is the candidate of an 11-party alliance comprising Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties.

A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote in the presidential election.

The last contested presidential election by parliamentary vote was held on 8 October, 1991, in the Jatiya Sangsad chamber. 

BNP nominated Abdur Rahman Biswas, while Awami League nominated Badrul Haider Chowdhury.

In that election, Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury, securing 172 votes against his rival’s 92, and became the country’s 11th president.