Bangladesh elects ruling party veteran Alamgir as president

Bangladesh elects Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir by parliamentary vote, filling vacancy after Shahabuddin’s early resignation.Published On 20 Aug 202620 Aug 2026Members of parliament in Bangladesh have elected ruling party veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the next president, following the premature resignation of the former president for health reasons.Seventy-eight-year old Alamgir from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was declared the winner after a 255-to-88 parliamentary vote on Thursday. He defeated Oli Ahmed, 84, a retired army colonel, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and candidate of the 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4India denies involvement in ex-Bangladesh PM Hasina’s planned speechlist 2 of 4Sheikh Hasina vows to return, but will Bangladesh accept convicted ex-PM?list 3 of 4Bangladesh holds presidential election in first contested vote in 35 yearslist 4 of 4Bangladesh’s government under pressure as youth demand jobsend of list“I dream of a happy, prosperous and welfare-oriented state where marginalised communities, hard-working people and daily wage earners can afford meals twice a day,”...