India TV

BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir elected as new President of Bangladesh: Who is he?

Bangladesh has elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its 23rd President on Thursday. Alamgir secured 255 votes in the presidential election held at the Jatiya Sangsad ( Bangladesh's Parliament), defeating Oli Ahmed, who received 88 votes.A total of 343 lawmakers participated in the election, which was conducted between 2 pm and 5 pm local time under the supervision of Chief Election Commissioner ASM Nasir Uddin. The Chief Election Commissioner subsequently announced the results and formally declared Alamgir the country's new President.The election was notable because it was the first Bangladeshi presidential poll in 35 years to feature more than one candidate. Previous presidential elections had generally seen opposition parties refrain from nominating candidates, resulting in single-candidate contests.