Mirza Fakhrul elected President

BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected the 23rd President of Bangladesh on Thursday, securing 255 votes to defeat opposition candidate Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, who received 88, in the country’s first contested presidential election in 35 years.
Fakhrul, former secretary general of the ruling BNP and a former local government and rural development minister, will succeed Mohammed Shahabuddin and move into Bangabhaban after rising through the party’s ranks over three decades.
Announcing the result in the Parliament Chamber at 5:20pm, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said, “Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has secured 255 votes. I declare that, having received the highest number of votes, he has been duly elected President.”
Acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal is due to administer the oath of office to Fakhrul at Bangabhaban at 7:30pm today, with preparations underway for the swearing-in ceremony at the Durbar Hall.
The election was triggered by the resignation of 22nd President Mohammed Shahabuddin on 24 July, cited to ill health, after which the Election Commission announced the poll schedule on 6 August. 
Oli Ahmed contested as the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

Voting begins with recitation of the Quran
Voting opened at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban at 2pm with a recitation of the Holy Quran, before CEC Nasir Uddin addressed the chamber at 2:05pm to outline the election rules and announce the candidates’ names. 
He was joined in the front row, facing the speaker’s chair, by three other election commissioners.
Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikram cast the first vote at 2:10pm, followed by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal. 
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman voted at 3:11pm, accompanied by Fakhrul, with lawmakers thumping their desks in approval as he entered. 
Fakhrul’s own vote drew a further round of desk-thumping from ruling party benches, after which he shook hands with MPs present and exchanged greetings with opposition leaders Shafiqur Rahman and Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher.
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shafiqur Rahman cast his vote at 2:19pm, and MPs continued voting steadily until the voting closed at 5pm.
A total of 349 of the parliament’s 350 members were eligible to vote; the Chattogram-4 seat currently has no sitting MP after its election result was cancelled. The rules make no provision for an absent MP’s vote to be cast by proxy.

Six MPs abstain
Six members of parliament did not vote, according to sources at the Parliament Secretariat: three from the BNP – Mirza Abbas, Osman Faruk and Mustafa Kamal Pasha – along with Jamaat MP Gazi Nazrul Islam, Khelafat Majlis MP Abul Hasan and independent MP Rumin Farhana.
Mirza Abbas had written to the Speaker to say he would be unable to vote as he was abroad for medical treatment. 
The reasons behind the other five absences were not immediately known.

A red rose for the new President
Moments after the result was declared, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman rose from his seat, shook hands with Fakhrul and presented him with a red rose, as lawmakers across the chamber thumped their desks in celebration. 
The newly elected President raised his hand to acknowledge the applause.
Dr Shafiqur Rahman, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Syed Abdullah Mohammed Taher and other opposition MPs then crossed to the treasury bench, where Fakhrul embraced Shafiqur Rahman first, before the prime minister came forward to embrace the President-elect. 
Tarique and Shafiqur Rahman also embraced each other, and lawmakers from both sides of the House went on to greet Fakhrul individually as the chamber’s mood turned celebratory.
The newly elected President later shook hands with the CEC and other Election Commission officials, capping a joyous scene in the chamber.

Fakhrul’s tally outstrips party numbers
Fakhrul’s 255 votes exceeded the BNP’s own elected strength in parliament by 11. 
Of the party’s elected MPs, 208 voted for him, along with 36 of its reserved women members, taking the BNP’s own tally to 244. He added three votes from alliance partners, seven from independent MPs and one from an MP elected under the “hand fan” symbol to reach his final total of 255.

Gazette published, transition under way
The Election Commission has published a gazette formally declaring Fakhrul President, signed by EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed and recording his name, father’s name and address.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, who has been serving as Acting President under Article 74(3) of the constitution – with Deputy Speaker Kaiser Kamal performing the speaker’s duties in the meantime – carried out his final official engagements at Bangabhaban on Thursday. 
His tenure as acting President will end once Fakhrul is sworn in.
Fakhrul’s own seat in parliament, along with his ministerial responsibilities, will lapse automatically the moment he takes the oath of office.
The presidential election was overseen by CEC Nasir Uddin, assisted by 20 officials appointed as assistant election officers. 
Bangladesh had not held a contested presidential poll since parliamentary system elections were last held for the office 35 years ago, with the post decided by single-candidate contests in the decades since.

Rival Oli Ahmed extends congratulations
Despite losing the contest, Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed congratulated Fakhrul on his election. "I hope that the new president will be able to perform his duties with firmness and efficiency to protect the country's independence, democracy and justice as a guardian of the nation and the constitution," he said in a message.
Jamaat Ameer Shafiqur Rahman also congratulated Fakhrul in a post on his verified Facebook page, expressing hope that the new President would use his "highest ability and wisdom" to establish justice, uphold democracy and safeguard the country's independence and sovereignty, besides wishing him good health and a long life.

Yunus lauds Fakhrul's integrity
Prof Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the former interim government and a Nobel laureate, extended his congratulations in a Facebook post on Thursday evening, describing Fakhrul as "an educationist, seasoned politician and a man of integrity" whose new role would "further elevate the dignity of the country's highest constitutional office."
Yunus noted that Fakhrul's political journey spans over five decades and is closely bound up with Bangladesh's political history, adding that his organisational insight, wisdom and leadership during times of crisis had earned him a distinct standing in national politics.

China, UK offer congratulations
China also congratulated Fakhrul, with the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka saying in a Thursday statement that Beijing "attaches great importance to its relations with Bangladesh" and stood ready to work with Dhaka to build a shared future, while expressing hope that bilateral cooperation would benefit both peoples.
The British High Commission in Dhaka likewise congratulated Fakhrul, saying the UK "looks forward to working with Hon. President Fakhrul and the Government of Bangladesh" to strengthen the two countries' long-standing partnership.

Thakurgaon celebrates its own
In Thakurgaon, from where Fakhrul was elected to parliament in 2026, residents celebrated the milestone in the political career he began in his hometown. His childhood friend, Professor Monotosh Kumar Dey, called it "a matter of pride not only for me, but also for the people of the country." 
Shariful Islam, president of the Thakurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the district was proud to see "our Alamgir Sir" reach the country's highest constitutional office, a sentiment echoed by residents across the district.

Jatiya Party, JU vice-chancellor add their voices
The Jatiya Party extended its congratulations in a joint statement from Chairman Anisul Islam Mahmud and Secretary General ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader, crediting Fakhrul with an important role in advancing democracy, people's rights and political tolerance, and expressing hope he would promote unity and play a neutral, responsible role in upholding the Constitution.
Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan also sent his congratulations, describing Fakhrul as an experienced and widely respected politician whose election reflected confidence in his long political experience and leadership.