For the first time in 35 years, a contested presidential election is set to take place in Bangladesh. Voting for the country’s 23rd presidential election will be held today, Thursday (August 20), in the Parliament Chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The two rival candidates are Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of BNP and Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmad, the candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance.
Polling will take place from 2 PM to 5 PM on Thursday. After the voting concludes, the electoral officer and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A M M Nasir Uddin will count the ballots and declare the results in the Parliament Chamber.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni stated that voting will be held in the Parliament’s Plenary Hall, where Members of Parliament (MPs) usually convene for sessions. The Chief Election Commissioner has designated the voting location. Each MP will be given one ballot paper. They will cast their vote for one of the two candidates by signing and depositing the ballot in the designated box.
He added that three ballot boxes will be placed at the polling station. To ensure convenience for MPs, ballot papers will be distributed in phases to avoid overcrowding. The Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission officials, Parliament Secretariat officials, and other relevant personnel will be on duty at the polling station.
He also informed that important segments of the voting process for the presidential election will be broadcast live.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni further stated that the elected president will take the oath of office at Bangabhaban on Friday (August 21) at 7:30 PM.
Nurul Islam Moni said that the first 20 minutes of voting will be broadcast live. During this time, the scenes of the President, Speaker, Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and presidential candidates (if they are MPs) casting their votes will be shown live. Live broadcast will also be available during the final stages of voting. After voting concludes, the opening of ballot boxes, vote counting, and the announcement of results will also be shown live.
The most crucial aspect of this election is Article 70 of the Constitution. Regarding this, Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad, Nurul Islam Moni, stated at a presidential election-focused press conference on August 11 that Article 70 of the Constitution would be effective in the presidential election. If any member votes against the party’s decision, their parliamentary seat will become vacant.
On Wednesday (August 19), during a briefing on presidential election preparations at the Election Building in Agargaon, Dhaka, CEC A M M Nasir Uddin described this election as historic. He noted that the resignation of a president before the end of their term and the holding of a contested presidential election after a long time have generated widespread public interest.
He further added that no contested presidential election has been held since 1991. Although there is some lack of institutional experience due to the election being held after such a long gap, all necessary preparations have been made.
EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed informed that voting will take place from 2 PM to 5 PM on Thursday in the Parliament Chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad. After the voting concludes, the results will be counted and declared there. Subsequently, the Election Commission will publish a gazette notification in the name of the elected president.
The total number of members in the Jatiya Sangsad, including reserved women’s seats, is 350. However, due to the cancellation of BNP MP Aslam Chowdhury’s membership by a court ruling, 349 MPs are eligible to vote in this presidential election.
The EC Secretary also explained the method for MPs to cast their votes in the presidential election. Voters will receive a ballot, sign next to the candidate’s name in the designated space, and then deposit the ballot into the designated box. Counting will begin after voting concludes at 5 PM.
The EC stated that the election ballots have been printed in black ink on white paper.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is the candidate of the ruling BNP in the presidential election. On the other hand, Colonel (Retd.) Oli Ahmad is the candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. Neither candidate withdrew their nomination within the stipulated time for withdrawal. Consequently, voting will take place between the two today.
With BNP holding more than a two-thirds majority in the Jatiya Sangsad, the victory of its candidate, Mirza Fakhrul, is considered largely assured.
Regarding the decision of the Jamaat-led alliance to field a presidential candidate despite a likely defeat, Nahid Islam, the Opposition Chief Whip and convener of the National Citizens’ Party (NCP), said that a presidential election had not occurred for almost 35 years prior to this. “We felt that an inclusive election is necessary for democracy. We also want to inform the people of the country about our political stance,” he stated.
The last contested presidential election, held 35 years ago, took place after the 1990 mass uprising. In that 1991 election, the candidate for the then-ruling BNP was Abdur Rahman Biswas, while the Awami League nominated former Chief Justice Badrul Haider Chowdhury. Ultimately, Abdur Rahman Biswas emerged victorious.
