Dhaka, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Bangladesh is set to witness a contested presidential election for the first time in more than three decades, with voting scheduled for August 20 amid expectations that both the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance will field candidates.
The development marks a departure from the practice of presidents being elected unopposed, which has prevailed since 1991, local media reported.
According to the schedule announced by the Bangladesh Election Commission, voting will take place in the session chamber of the National Parliament Building on August 20. If more than one candidate remains in the fray, members of Parliament will elect the President through a secret ballot.
The presidential post fell vacant following the resignation of Mohammed Shahabuddin on July 24. National Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed is currently serving as acting President. Under the Constitution, a presidential election must be held within 90 days of the office becoming vacant, Dhaka Tribune reported.
The ruling BNP is expected to nominate its Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. According to The Daily Star, Fakhrul has already signed the consent form for the presidential nomination, with the party likely to formally announce his candidature later this week.
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance, the principal opposition grouping in Parliament, is also expected to nominate a candidate, setting the stage for a rare electoral contest for the country’s highest constitutional office.
However, the BNP enters the presidential race with a substantial numerical advantage. The party won 210 seats in the 2026 parliamentary election, while the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance secured 77 seats.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Manzil Morshed told Dhaka Tribune that the opposition was aware its candidate was unlikely to win but could be contesting as part of a broader political strategy.
Election expert Badiul Alam Majumdar, founder of the civil society platform Shujan, meanwhile, described the outcome as largely predetermined, arguing that the candidate backed by the ruling party was likely to become President.
The August 20 election is therefore being closely watched not only for its outcome but also as a departure from Bangladesh’s long-standing tradition of uncontested presidential elections.
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