Bangladesh holds presidential election in first contested vote in 35 years

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Bangladesh is holding its first contested presidential election in 35 years, with the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir pitted against former army officer Oli Ahmad, the nominee of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance.A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote in the parliamentary chamber between 08:00 GMT and 11:00 GMT on Thursday, with the result expected hours later, according to Bangladesh’s Election Commission.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resignslist 2 of 4Sheikh Hasina vows to return, but will Bangladesh accept convicted ex-PM?list 3 of 4Bangladesh make history with first-ever Test cricket win in Australialist 4 of 4Bangladesh landslides kill nine, including eight Rohingya in refugee campend of listThe election was triggered by the resignation last month of Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was elected unopposed in 2023 as a nominee of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League (AL) party. He quit halfway through his five-year term after serving through Hasina’s removal in August 2024, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim admini...