Bangladesh elects ruling party's Alamgir as president

Lawmakers in Bangladesh elected ruling party veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country's president on Thursday, a largely ceremonial post left vacant after the early resignation of his predecessor.

Alamgir, 78, secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and local government minister, won 255 votes to become the 23rd president of the South Asian country of 170 million people.

The only other candidate, Oli Ahmad, nominated by the opposition 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, finished with 88 votes, Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin said.
"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," Alamgir said Thursday before the vote, according to the state news agency BSS.

The poll was the first in 35 years that more than one candidate contested the Bangladesh presidency.

The previous presidential election involving a parliamentary vote was held in 1991.

"We have high hopes from you," Oli, 87, said after the vote. "We expect you to serve the country by putting national interests above personal interests."

Bangladesh's close ally China congratulated Alamgir, saying it looked forward to "a shared future in the new era," its high commission in Dhaka said in a statement.

The presidency vote follows the resignation in July of the previous president, Mohammed Shahabuddin, 76, a close ally of Hasina who had faced pressure to quit.

Widely known as "Chuppu", he was elected in 2023 and stepped down citing ill health. His term was due to end in 2028.

Seasoned politician

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's BNP won a landslide victory in February, in the first elections since a 2024 uprising ousted the government of Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina remains in hiding in India, having refused to attend her trial in Dhaka -- where in November she was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to be hanged.

Rights groups had long accused Hasina's administration of abuses including the murder of rivals, suppression of opposition parties, rigged courts and one-sided elections.

Born on January 26, 1948, Alamgir entered politics while studying economics at Dhaka University.
He was a key student leader in the 1969 uprising opposing military rule by Pakistan, a stepping-stone towards Bangladesh's eventual independence in 1971.

After teaching economics, he entered government service, then politics, with posts including minister of agriculture, aviation and tourism. But he rose to prominence as an opposition leader during Hasina's iron-fisted rule — while BNP head Khaleda Zia was in prison and her son Rahman was in exile.

Alamgir was himself repeatedly arrested under Hasina's government, facing dozens of charges he said were politically motivated.

The BSS news agency said he had been praised for "keeping the BNP organised and maintaining the party's political presence during difficult times."

Alamgir is married to Rahat Ara Begum, a retired financial official. They have two daughters.
As president, Alamgir will serve as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
 Agence France-Presse