​​​​​​​Dhaka [Bangladesh], August 20: Former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was on Thursday elected as the country's 23rd President, securing 255 votes in a presidential election held at the Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh's Parliament.

Alamgir defeated Oli Ahmed, the candidate backed by an 11-party opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP). Ahmed received 88 votes.

A total of 343 members of Parliament cast their ballots in the election, which was held from 2 pm to 5 pm local time under the supervision of Chief Election Commissioner ASM Nasir Uddin. The Chief Election Commissioner subsequently announced Alamgir's victory.

The election was significant as it marked the first time in 35 years that more than one candidate had contested Bangladesh's presidential election. In previous elections, opposition parties had generally refrained from fielding candidates, leaving a single contender in the race.

Alamgir was nominated as the BNP's presidential candidate last week. Following the nomination, he resigned as the party's Secretary General and stepped down from the BNP's National Standing Committee.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced Alamgir's nomination after a meeting of the party's National Standing Committee near the Bangladesh Prime Minister's Office at the Secretariat. Rizvi said the decision was taken after consultations with the Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman.

Acting President and Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Major (Retd) Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman and other lawmakers also participated in Thursday's voting.

Although the Jatiya Sangsad has 350 seats, voting was conducted among 349 members as the election in one constituency had been suspended. Of these, 343 MPs cast their votes.

The presidential election was necessitated by the resignation of Mohammad Shahabuddin, who stepped down last month citing serious health complications. Shahabuddin, 76, had served as President since April 2023 and submitted his resignation to then-Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on July 24.

The Speaker accepted the resignation and assumed the duties of the President in accordance with Article 54 of the Bangladesh Constitution. Shahabuddin had become Bangladesh's 22nd President on April 24, 2023, after being elected unopposed as the nominee of the then-ruling Awami League. His five-year term was originally scheduled to continue until April 2028.

Under Bangladesh's Constitution, the Speaker assumes the duties of the President when the office falls vacant until a new head of state is elected. The Constitution requires Parliament to elect a new President within 90 days of a vacancy.

Thursday's election was therefore held within the constitutionally prescribed period, ending the interim arrangement and clearing the way for Alamgir to take charge as President.

Alamgir's election marks a significant political transition in Bangladesh, as the senior BNP leader moves from the party's organisational leadership to the country's highest constitutional office.