Dhaka (HRNW)- Voting is being held today in Bangladesh to elect a new president, with senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir facing former army officer and opposition candidate Col. (retd) Oli Ahmed.
According to international news agencies, voting will take place at the Bangladesh Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) from 2 pm to 5 pm, with 349 members of parliament eligible to cast their votes. Under Bangladesh’s constitutional system, the president is elected by parliament rather than through a direct public vote.
Analysts describe the election as Bangladesh’s first genuinely competitive presidential contest in 35 years. The ruling BNP holds a clear parliamentary majority, making 78-year-old Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir the apparent frontrunner.
The opposition alliance of 11 parties, backed by Jamaat-e-Islami, has nominated Col. (retd) Oli Ahmed. Although the opposition alliance is numerically weaker in parliament, observers view the contest as an important development in the country’s democratic process.
According to Bangladeshi media, the successful candidate is expected to take the oath of office at Bangabhaban on Friday evening, with the new presidential term beginning after the election results are announced.
The election follows the resignation of former President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was regarded as a close ally of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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