BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been unofficially elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh, defeating his only rival, Col (retd) Oli Ahmad, by a wide margin in Thursday’s presidential election.

Mirza Fakhrul secured 255 votes against 88 won by Col (retd) Oli, who contested as the nominee of the 11-party opposition alliance led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami.

The voting took place in the session chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, who also served as the Returning Officer for the election, announced the result after voting concluded at 5 pm.

“Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected to the post of President properly as he got the highest votes,” the CEC said.

According to Nasir Uddin, a total of 343 valid votes were cast, with Fakhrul receiving 255 and Oli Ahmad 88.

Of the 349 eligible voters, six lawmakers did not participate in the election.

They were BNP lawmakers Mirza Abbas, Mostafa Kamal Pasha and Dr Muhammad Osman Farruk; independent lawmaker Rumeen Farhana; Jamaat lawmaker Gazi Nazrul Islam; and Islami Andolan Bangladesh lawmaker Md Oli Ullah.

Following the announcement of the results, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman greeted the newly elected president with a flower and embraced him.

Leaders of the opposition also congratulated Fakhrul on his victory.

The Election Commission is scheduled to publish the official election results in a gazette by on this day.

Meanwhile, Bangabhaban is preparing for the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected president, which is expected to be held on Friday evening.

Voting began at 2 pm and continued until 5 pm, with Members of Parliament casting their ballots through an open voting process to elect the country’s 23rd president.

At the start of the voting, acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal cast their ballots at 2:10 pm.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir followed by voting at 2:11 pm.

Before the balloting began, CEC Nasir Uddin formally announced the names of the two presidential candidates and briefed the lawmakers on the voting procedure.

The Chattogram-4 parliamentary constituency is currently vacant, leaving 349 lawmakers eligible to vote in the presidential election.

The electorate comprised 247 BNP lawmakers, 77 Jamaat MPs, eight NCP lawmakers, eight independent MPs, three Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis MPs, and one lawmaker each from Bangladesh Jatiya Party-BJP, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Ganosamhati Andolon, Khilafat Majlis, Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party.

The BJP, Gono Odhikar Parishad and Ganosamhati Andolon are allies of the ruling BNP.

The ruling camp has 250 lawmakers in Parliament, while Jamaat, NCP, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis, Khilafat Majlis and Jatiya Ganatantrik Party are part of the 11-party opposition alliance, which has 90 lawmakers.

The latest election marked the first contested presidential race in Bangladesh in more than three decades.

The previous contested presidential election took place on October 8, 1991, when BNP nominee Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury to become the country’s 11th president.

In that election, Abdur Rahman Biswas received 172 votes while Badrul Haider Chowdhury secured 92.

Presidential elections held after 1991 did not require voting because each time only a single candidate was nominated and elected unopposed.

The presidential office became vacant after Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on July 24 last. Following his resignation, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad assumed the responsibilities of acting president.

Under Article 123(2) of the Constitution, an election to fill the vacant office of the president must be held within 90 days when the position becomes vacant due to resignation.