Dhaka: Voting for the country’s presidential election is set to take place tomorrow afternoon, with the newly elected president expected to take the oath of office at Bangabhaban on Friday evening, as announced by Chief Whip of Jatiya Sangsad Md. Nurul Islam Moni today. This announcement was made during a press conference at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban following a meeting of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Parliamentary Party.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Chief Whip stated that voting would be conducted from 2pm to 5pm on Thursday, marking the first presidential election in 35 years. The Election Commission and Parliament have arranged for the voting process to be broadcast live five minutes before it begins, featuring key figures including the Honourable President, Honourable Speaker, Honourable Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The proceedings will be recorded and live broadcasting will resume shortly before the voting concludes, with the election results also being announced live. Nurul Islam Moni emphasized the significance of this event, describing it as a historic moment and the beginning of a new democratic journey.
The newly elected president is scheduled to take the oath at Bangabhaban at 7:30pm on Friday. The Chief Whip highlighted the leadership of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, under whose guidance the party has engaged in a 17-year-long movement before returning to power through a democratic election. He emphasized the desire to institutionalize democracy and maintain the country’s progress.
The presidential contest features candidates Dr Oli Ahmad and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. The Chief Whip expressed confidence in the electoral process, stating that the election would provide the people of the country an opportunity to witness the voting process and elect a new president.
The press briefing was attended by BNP members and officials, including Whips Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Miah Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan, and others. The BNP Parliamentary Party meeting, chaired by Prime Minister and Parliamentary Party Leader Tarique Rahman, was held earlier today and concluded after 40 minutes.
This presidential election is notable as it involves multiple candidates for the first time since the last contested election in 1991, when Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury. The upcoming election sees Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir nominated by BNP and its allied parties, while retired Colonel Oli Ahmed is representing an 11-party alliance. A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote in this significant electoral event.