BNP finalises Mirza Fakhrul as presidential candidate

The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has finalised Secretary General and Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its candidate for the country’s next president. The party is expected to officially announce his candidacy on Thursday, the deadline for submitting nomination papers.

Nomination papers for the presidential election can be submitted to the Election Commission from 10am to 4pm on Thursday.

Party sources said BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman selected Fakhrul for the post. Fakhrul has already signed his consent form, while the party is expected to submit his nomination to Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin later in the day.

Three nomination forms have so far been collected, including two by the BNP. Party sources said the multiple forms were collected for legal and strategic reasons.

Meanwhile, the opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed for the presidency. His nomination is expected to be submitted at around 11am Thursday.

According to the election schedule, nomination papers will be scrutinised on August 16, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until 4pm on August 18. If more than one candidate remains in the race, voting will take place in Parliament on August 20. MPs will cast their votes in a secret ballot between 2pm and 5pm.

Preparations for the election are already underway. At a meeting at Parliament on Tuesday, Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said MPs who vote against their party’s decision could lose their parliamentary membership under Article 70 of the Constitution.

Former President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on July 24, citing health reasons. Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has since been serving as acting president in accordance with the Constitution. The presidential election is being held to fill the vacancy.

SKS