Dhaka, August 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday took oath as the 23rd President of Bangladesh at Bangabhaban, the presidential residence in Dhaka.
Acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal administered the oath at a ceremony attended by outgoing acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, former Chief Adviser of the interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus and other dignitaries.
Fakhrul was elected President on Thursday after defeating Oli Ahmed, who was backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance.
Fakhrul secured 255 votes against Ahmed’s 88 among the 343 valid votes cast in the presidential election held at the National Parliament. Chief Election Commissioner and Returning Officer A M M Nasir Uddin supervised the election.
The presidential contest was notable as Bangladesh witnessed a contested parliamentary vote for the office for the first time in more than three decades. The practice of electing presidents unopposed had continued since 1991, with the previous presidential election decided through voting in Parliament held on October 8, 1991.
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed had been serving as acting President following the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin on July 24. Under Bangladesh’s Constitution, a new President must be elected within 90 days of the office becoming vacant.
Fakhrul has been one of the BNP’s most prominent leaders for more than 15 years and is the party’s longest-serving Secretary General. During a politically turbulent period in which BNP’s acting leader Tarique Rahman remained in exile in London and former party chief Khaleda Zia faced imprisonment, house arrest and prolonged health problems, Fakhrul remained the party’s senior leadership figure based in Bangladesh.
He maintained contact with party workers across the country and played a key role in implementing party decisions on the ground.
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