Mirza Fakhrul’s nomination cleared for presidential election

The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday (August 16) declared the nomination of BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir valid for the country’s upcoming presidential election, setting up a potential contest between the ruling party’s nominee and the opposition-backed candidate.

Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin, who is also serving as the election officer for the presidential poll, announced the decision after scrutinising the nomination papers at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka.

Two nomination papers had been submitted in Mirza Fakhrul’s name. The EC found one valid, while the other was automatically rejected under the rules governing multiple nominations by the same candidate.

Earlier in the day, the EC also approved the nomination of Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and candidate of the 11-party alliance led by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

Two nomination papers had also been submitted for Oli Ahmed. Following scrutiny, one nomination for each candidate was declared valid, leaving both as eligible contenders for the presidential election.

The election is scheduled for August 20. The deadline for withdrawing nominations is 4pm on August 18. If more than one candidate remains in the race after the withdrawal deadline, the president will be elected through a vote by members of parliament.