Dhaka: Voting has started in the presidential election on Thursday after 35 years, with Members of Parliament to elect the country's 23rd President through an open ballot. The three-hour balloting began at 2:10 pm in the session chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad and will continue until 5 pm. A total of 349 MPs are eligible to cast their votes.
According to United News of Bangladesh, BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and opposition Jamaat-led 11-party alliance contender Col (retd) Oli Ahmad are contesting the election. At the onset of the balloting, Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal, and presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir cast their votes. Notably, Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and Acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal voted at 2:10 pm, followed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at 2:11 pm.
Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A. M. M. Nasir Uddin announced the names of the two candidates for president, along with their proposers and seconders. He elaborated on the voting procedure for Members of Parliament, including the method for placing ballot papers in the ballot box.
With BNP holding an absolute majority in Parliament, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is widely expected to be elected as the country's 23rd President. Under Article 70 of the Constitution, lawmakers elected as candidates of political parties will lose their seats if they vote for any candidate in this presidential election, contrary to their respective party's decision.
The last contested presidential election was held on October 8, 1991, when BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury to become the country's 11th President. Since then, no voting was required in successive presidential elections as a single candidate was elected uncontested in each election.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, who is overseeing the polls, will announce the election result immediately after the vote count in Parliament. Subsequently, the Election Commission will publish the election result in an official gazette on Thursday. Meanwhile, Bangabhaban is preparing for the oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected President on Friday evening.
The voting process involves each MP signing their full name on the counterfoil of the ballot paper before casting their vote. Ballots will be accepted until 5:00 pm, after which counting will commence.
The voters include 247 BNP lawmakers, 77 Jamaat MPs, eight NCP lawmakers, eight independent MPs, and several others from allied parties. The ruling camp has 250 lawmakers, expected to vote for Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while the opposition camp has 90 lawmakers, expected to vote for Oli Ahmad.
On July 24, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as President, and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad assumed the role of Acting President. According to Article 123(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill the vacant office of the President must occur within 90 days of the vacancy due to resignation.