August 22, Kathmandu: Bangladesh’s parliament has elected Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country’s new president.
After nearly 35 years, Bangladesh held a direct vote in parliament to elect its 23rd president.
Alamgir, the candidate of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was elected president after securing 255 votes.
His rival, retired Colonel Oli Ahmed, received 88 votes.
Alamgir is a senior leader of the ruling BNP and has long been one of the main opponents of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hasina was ousted from power following the student movement in 2024. She is currently living in India, and Bangladesh has asked India to extradite her.
Alamgir played a key role in leading the BNP during a difficult period. He was also arrested several times at different points.
The presidency in Bangladesh is largely ceremonial. However, under proposed reforms, the president could be given greater powers, which is expected to help maintain a balance of power among the country’s top leaders.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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