BNP names Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as presidential candidate

The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has nominated its Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, as its candidate for the country’s 23rd presidential election.

The decision was finalised at a meeting of the BNP Standing Committee on Thursday (August 13), with the party’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi confirming the nomination to reporters at the Secretariat later in the day.

Under the party’s decision, Fakhrul will contest the presidential election as the ruling party’s candidate.

Meanwhile, the 11-party alliance, which forms the parliamentary opposition, has nominated Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col. (retd.) Oli Ahmed as its candidate. Alliance leaders submitted Oli Ahmed’s nomination papers to Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin at the Election Commission office at around 11:45am on Thursday.

With both the ruling party and the opposition alliance naming their candidates on the same day, the contours of the presidential contest have become clearer.

According to the election schedule, candidates were allowed to submit nomination papers from 10am to 4pm on Thursday. The nominations will be scrutinised on August 16, while candidates can withdraw their candidature until August 18.

Although multiple nominations may be submitted, the final list of valid candidates will be determined after the scrutiny process.

The presidential election is scheduled to be held on August 20 in the session chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad. Members of Parliament will cast their votes to elect the country’s 23rd president.