Bangladesh parliament set to confirm Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as president
The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s two-thirds majority makes the election of veteran politician Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir a formality, filling the vacancy left by Mohammed Shahabuddin’s resignation.
Bangladesh’s parliament is scheduled to elect a new president on Thursday, with Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) widely expected to secure the position. The vote is set to take place at 2 p.m. local time (0800 UTC), a procedural step that will formalise the appointment of the 78-year-old veteran politician to the largely ceremonial role.
The outcome is heavily influenced by the BNP’s commanding position in the legislature, where the party holds more than a two-thirds majority. This supermajority makes it unlikely that Oli Ahmed, a retired army officer-turned-politician from the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance, will secure the necessary votes to challenge the ruling party’s candidate.
The election follows the resignation of former president Mohammed Shahabuddin in July, who cited health concerns as the reason for his departure. Shahabuddin was a close ally of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose government was removed from power in 2024. The current administration, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, came to power after the BNP won a landslide victory in February, the first general election held since Hasina’s ouster.
Alamgir’s path to the presidency has been marked by significant political adversity. Under Hasina’s government, he was repeatedly arrested and faced dozens of charges, which he described as politically motivated. Media reports have praised him for keeping the BNP organised and maintaining the party’s political presence during the difficult period of Hasina’s rule.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Alamgir expressed surprise at his nomination, attributing it to the grace of the party and Allah. “Even after becoming president, I wish to remain beside the people and serve them,” he stated, according to the state news agency BSS.
The appointment is expected to consolidate the BNP’s control over the state’s executive functions, with the presidency serving primarily as a symbolic head of state. The government is anticipated to utilise its parliamentary strength to ensure the smooth transition of power to Alamgir.
