Bangladesh presidential race set for vote as no candidate withdraws

None of the candidates in presidential election withdrew their nominations by Tuesday’s deadline, clearing the way for a contested vote for the country’s next president.

Election Commission Secretary Akhter Ahmed confirmed the development while speaking to reporters at the Election Commission headquarters in the capitals Agargaon.

Voting is scheduled to take place on August 20 from 2pm to 5pm at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The voting will be conducted continuously during the three-hour window, with 20 election officials appointed to oversee the process, the EC secretary said.

The Election Commission has also approved a special ballot paper design for the election, featuring black printing on white paper. Ballot papers will be printed and delivered to the parliament premises on polling day.

The preliminary results will be announced immediately after voting ends, Ahmed said, adding that the commission is fully prepared to complete the counting and announce the outcome as quickly as possible.

A total of 349 lawmakers will cast their votes. The Chattogram-4 constituency remains vacant following the cancellation of the elected candidate’s candidature by a court order.

The two candidates—BNP and its like-minded parties’ nominee Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and the 11-party alliance’s nominee Oli Ahmed—did not withdraw their nominations, according to the EC secretary.

The election was triggered by the resignation of Bangladesh’s 22nd president, Mohammed Shahabuddin, on July 24, citing health reasons. The Election Commission announced the schedule on August 6.

This will be the first contested presidential election in Bangladesh since 1991, as previous elections after that were held with a single candidate.