BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir elected as President of Bangladesh

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Aug 20, 2026 : Voting was held at the National Parliament House in Bangladesh from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected as President. He received 255 votes. And 11-Party Unity candidate Oli Ahmed received 88 votes. CEC AMM Nasir Uddin declared Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir the winner.
CEC AMM Nasir Uddin announced the end of the voting and said that now the officials of the National Parliament Secretariat and the Election Commission Secretariat will start counting the votes. The results will be announced as soon as the counting is completed.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman watched the voting for the presidential election from his seat in the parliament chamber for more than an hour from the start of the voting. At that time, the party’s candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was in the seat next to him. Then there were Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salah Uddin Ahmed and senior MP Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.
While the Prime Minister was sitting in her seat, she spoke to the MPs standing in front of her and inquired about their welfare.
The Prime Minister left the Parliament Chamber at 3:13 pm and went to her office. While leaving from there, she took the party’s candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir with her.
The new President will take the oath at Bangabhaban tomorrow, Friday at 7 pm, the Chief Whip said.
The post of President would have been more respected if there was no Article 70 of the Constitution and if there was an opportunity to vote freely, said Nahid Islam, the opposition Chief Whip of the National Parliament and convener of the Khokader Party of the National Citizens Party (NCP). Nahid Islam told reporters at the Parliament House around 2 pm.
Meanwhile, Professor Muhammad Yunus, the former chief advisor to the interim government, has congratulated and wished Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on being elected as the President of Bangladesh. He said, ‘As an educationist, experienced politician and a gentleman, his assumption of this new responsibility will further elevate the status of the highest constitutional post of the state.’
The congratulatory message was posted on Professor Muhammad Yunus’ verified Facebook page on Thursday evening.
Expressing his sincere congratulations and best wishes to him, Professor Yunus wrote in his congratulatory message, ‘Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s political journey spans more than five decades and is closely linked to the political history of Bangladesh. His organizational skills, wisdom, leadership in times of crisis and experience of working closely with the grassroots people have established him in a unique position in the national politics of this country.’
As an educationist, experienced politician and a decent person, Nobel laureate Professor Yunus expressed hope that Mirza Fakhrul’s assumption of this new responsibility will further elevate the status of the highest constitutional post of the state. He said, ‘I hope that Bangladesh will move forward on a more prosperous, just and democratic path under the leadership of His Excellency President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. I wish him good health, longevity and all-round success in fulfilling his duties.’
On the other hand, Member of Parliament Rumin Farhana made some comments to the media on Thursday regarding the election. He said, ‘I find the presidential election meaningless. Because if there is no uncertainty in the vote, it is not an election. Everyone knows what the result of this vote is. So why call it an election. So it is a nomination, not an election. In the presidential election, 6 people, including independent MP Rumin Farhana, elected from Brahmanbaria-2, did not vote.
Explaining the second reason for not voting, Rumin Farhana said, “Such a big mass uprising took place, with which our sacrifices and many dreams as a nation are associated. Then why could we all not nominate an apolitical and acceptable person for the post of President.”
Mentioning the third reason as the most important to her, Rumin Farhana said, “Before the presidential election, BNP threatened Article 70 of the Constitution. However, since 2016, BNP has been talking loudly about Vision 2030. Now they are saying that if you vote outside the party, your membership will be canceled. Why should I vote for such a farce?”