Veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
In the country’s first contested presidential election in 35 years, Alamgir secured 255 votes in the Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament). He comfortably defeated his lone rival, Oli Ahmed—backed by a Jamaat-e-Islami-led opposition alliance—who received 88 votes from the 343 lawmakers who participated in the ballot.
The presidential election was triggered by the resignation of former President Mohammed Shahabuddin last month on health grounds. Alamgir, 78, recently stepped down from his long-held post as BNP secretary general to contest the presidency.
His victory places a senior BNP figure at the head of state, cementing the party's political transition following its return to power in the February 2026 general elections under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
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Who is the 23rd President of Bangladesh?
Veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh on August 20, 2026.
Why was a presidential election held in Bangladesh in August 2026?
The presidential election was triggered by the resignation of former President Mohammed Shahabuddin last month on health grounds.
How many votes did Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir receive?
Alamgir secured 255 votes out of the 343 lawmakers who participated in the ballot at the Jatiya Sangsad, defeating his lone rival Oli Ahmed.
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