Bangladesh’s parliament elected ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, as the country’s new president on Thursday.
The BNP, which holds more than a two-thirds majority in parliament, secured the largely ceremonial post for Alamgir, defeating retired army officer-turned-politician Oli Ahmed of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance.
The election comes after former president Mohammed Shahabuddin, a close ally of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned in July citing health concerns.
Who is Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir?
In February, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s BNP won a landslide victory in the first election since Hasina’s 2024 ouster.
The party used its majority to hand the 78-year-old Alamgir the largely ceremonial presidency.
“I never thought that I would become the president, it is the infinite grace of the party and almighty Allah,” he told reporters on Tuesday, according to the state news agency BSS.
“Even after becoming president, I wish to remain beside the people and serve them.”
Alamgir was repeatedly arrested under Hasina’s government, facing dozens of charges he said were politically motivated.
He has been hailed in the media for “keeping the BNP organized and maintaining the party’s political presence during difficult times,” referring to Hasina’s rule.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
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