BNP puts veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir forward as presidential hopeful
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party nominated its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its candidate for the presidential election slated for August 20.
On Thursday the Bangladesh Nationalist Party selected its long-time secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, aged 78, as its nominee for the presidential election scheduled for August 20. The nomination was communicated by senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi after a meeting with party chairman Tarique Rahman. The election was triggered by former President Mohammed Shahabuddin stepping down on July 24 citing health issues, with parliamentary speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad currently serving as acting president.
Alamgir, an economist who began his political career as a student activist during the Pakistan era, has led the BNP since 2016 and the party enjoys a two-thirds majority in the legislature. Since the Bangladeshi president is elected by MPs, the BNP’s dominant position gives Alamgir a favorable chance to become the nation’s 23rd head of state.
Why it matters
The nomination could decide Bangladesh’s next president, shaping the country’s political trajectory.
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