After Shahabuddin's exit, attention turns to Bangladesh's next president

Asked if the BNP settled on a candidate, Mirza Fakhrul says he knew of none, as senior leaders suggest the presidential race may wait until constitutional reforms

Pursuit of Presidency

Names in circulation: Six key figures emerge as potential successors, including Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir

Reforms before race: Senior BNP leaders indicate the vote may wait until constitutional amendments are passed

Decision guarded: Ruling party insists no final candidate is chosen as acting presidency begins

No sooner had Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned than the focus of Bangladesh's politics shifted from the outgoing president to the question of who will become the next occupant of Bangabhaban.

Names are already circulating in political circles, but senior BNP leaders say the discussion remains at a conceptual stage. They insist no formal decision has been made and that the issue has yet to reach the party's highest decision-making forum.

Several leaders believe selecting the next president could take time.

Some even suggest the election may come only after parliament passes the proposed 18th constitutional amendment, which is expected to include provisions to rebalance the powers of the president and the prime minister.

Shahabuddin was sworn in as Bangladesh's 22nd president on Apr 24, 2023, during the Awami League government's tenure.

Although the 2024 July Uprising toppled that government, he remained in office, administering the oath to both the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus and the BNP government formed after the February election.

Rumours of his resignation surfaced on Wednesday before he formally stepped down on Friday, citing deteriorating physical and mental health.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad immediately assumed the role of acting president and will serve until a successor is elected.

Although the Constitution requires a new president to be elected within 90 days, several senior BNP leaders believe the process is unlikely to begin immediately.

Who is in the Frame?

Senior BNP policymakers identified six names that have featured in internal discussions.

They include Acting President and Speaker Hafiz Uddin; Local Government Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir; BNP Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Nazrul Islam Khan, Abdul Moyeen Khan and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury; as well as former chief justice Syed Refaat Ahmed.

A prime ministerial advisor and a senior BNP official said Hafiz and Fakhrul are among the names attracting the most attention.

Other names have emerged from conversations with several members of the BNP Standing Committee.

Even so, party leaders caution against treating media speculation as evidence of a decision.

"The speaker has already assumed the responsibilities of acting president under the Constitution. After that, the party will decide and an election will be held. There is still a long process ahead," Fakhrul told bdnews24.com on Friday evening.

Asked whether the party had settled on a preferred candidate, he replied: "I can't say that. I don't know of any names."

Power Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku offered a similar response.

"I genuinely don't know. I'm seeing whatever is appearing in the media."

A senior BNP leader told bdnews24.com the presidential election was unlikely before the next parliamentary session, arguing that constitutional amendments were expected to come first.

A senior official at the Prime Minister's Office also dismissed speculation that a cabinet secretary mentioned in a Facebook post by exiled journalist Zulkarnaine Saer was likely to become president, saying the possibility was “almost nil”.

Another senior policymaker said a Dhaka University academic had also been discussed, while one minister said only the prime minister and two senior ministers were aware of who was seriously under consideration.

Whoever is ultimately nominated must still go through the constitutional process.

Under Article 48(1), members of parliament elect the president, while the Election Commission conducts the election under the President Election Act, 1991.

If only one valid candidate remains after nominations and withdrawals, that candidate is declared elected unopposed.

If more than one candidate qualifies, MPs elect the president through an open ballot in parliament.

For now, Bangabhaban has an acting occupant. Its next permanent resident remains one of Bangladesh's most closely guarded political decisions.