Presidential election: BNP finalises candidate, Mirza Fakhrul set to be president

The ruling BNP has nominated Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for the presidency, putting the veteran politician on course to become Bangladesh’s 23rd president.

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman announced the decision following a high-level meeting of the party at the Secretariat on Thursday.

"[Tarique] met with senior leaders. At the meeting, Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul was announced as the party's candidate for the presidential election," said the Prime Minister's Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman.

Previously, Tarique was given the responsibility of nominating the party's presidential candidate at a meeting of the BNP's National Standing Committee on Aug 1.

Multiple members of theStanding Committee told bdnews24.com that the party chairman, after being given the responsibility, spoke to members of the BNP’s highest policymaking body over the phone for the past few days and sought their opinions. 

He finalised the candidate based on their recommendations. 

Before the meeting began, Parliamentary Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni entered the Prime Minister's Office with the nomination form for the presidential election.

The BNP vice-chairman said, "We have collected two forms for the BNP and brought them here. [On Thursday] the members of the BNP Standing Committee have come. There is a meeting with the chairman at noon.

"From here, we will go to the Election Commission with the nomination form."

After the re-introduction of parliamentary democracy, the presidential election in 1991 was contested by multiple candidates. Since then, the ruling party's nominee has been elected president unopposed every time.

However, a presidential vote is to be held for the second time in 35 years as the Jamaat-e-Islami’s 11-party alliance has also announced a presidential candidate - LDP President Oli Ahmad.

Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Salahuddin Ahmed, Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku, Selima Rahman and AZM Zahid Hossain were among the BNP leaders in attendance at the meeting.