The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) today nominated its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its candidate for the country’s presidency. The presidential election will be held on August 20. Senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced that the 78-year-old veteran politician resigned as BNP secretary general and from its highest policy-making standing committee after being nominated. The nomination was announced after a meeting of senior BNP leaders with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is also the party chairman, at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat in Dhaka.
Bangladesh’s main opposition Jamaat-e-Islami has also fielded the party-led alliance partner Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad as their presidential candidate. The presidential election comes after former president Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on July 24, citing serious health problems, about two years before the end of his term. Parliamentary Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is currently serving as acting president, as required under the Constitution following a vacancy in the office.
The BNP, which was voted to power in the February 12 elections, currently commands a two-thirds majority in Parliament, putting Mr Alamgir in a strong position to secure the presidency.
