Bangladesh Holds First Contested Presidential Election in 35 Years

Bangladesh is holding its first contested presidential election in 35 years, with ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir facing former army officer Oli Ahmad.

A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote in Thursday’s election, with the result expected later in the day.

The election was triggered by the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin last month. His departure created the need for a new head of state midway through his five-year term.

Alamgir, 78, is widely expected to win because the BNP controls 247 of the 349 parliamentary votes, while Ahmad, 85, is backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance, which has 90 lawmakers.

Although the outcome appears predictable, the election is considered significant because it is the first contested presidential vote in Bangladesh since 1991. Every presidential election since then had been uncontested.

The president has limited executive powers under Bangladesh’s constitution, with most governing authority resting with the prime minister. Analysts therefore say the election is more symbolic than a major shift in political power.

The vote comes two years after the 2024 uprising that ended former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule and as Bangladesh continues efforts to reform its political institutions.

The contest between Alamgir and Ahmad nevertheless marks a rare moment in Bangladesh’s political history, giving lawmakers two candidates to choose from for the country’s next president.

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