Bangladesh holds 1st contested presidential election in 35 years
What's the story
Bangladesh is holding its first contested presidential election in 35 years. The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, will face former army officer Oli Ahmad of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led opposition alliance. The election was triggered after Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was elected unopposed in 2023 as a candidate of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party, resigned last month.
Voting details
Ahmad backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, Alamgir by BNP
The parliamentary chamber's 349 members will vote between 08:00 GMT and 11:00 GMT on Thursday. The result is expected to be announced hours later.
Alamgir, 78, is a prominent BNP leader who was appointed minister for local government after the BNP's victory in this year's election.
Ahmad, 85, is a retired colonel and chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Candidate profiles
Public opinion divided between 2 candidates
Public opinion is divided, with some praising Alamgir for his integrity while others prefer Ahmad for his political experience.
The president is the head of state but has limited executive authority.
Article 48(3) requires the president to act on the PM's advice, except in appointing the PM and the chief justice.
The vote will be the first contested presidential election since October 1991, when BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated AL nominee Badrul Haider Chowdhury by 172 votes to 92.
Election impact
247 of the 349 lawmakers are from BNP
Since then, every presidential election has been uncontested.
The outcome of Thursday's vote, however, is seen as predetermined.
Alamgir has a significant numerical advantage because 247 of the 349 lawmakers eligible to vote are from the BNP and 90 from the Jamaat-led opposition alliance.
Nonetheless, the vote is symbolic for a country reforming its institutions two years after the 2024 uprising that ousted Hasina's iron-fisted 15-year leadership.