Bangladesh Parliament Elects Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as New President

Bangladesh's Parliament elected ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the country's new president on Thursday.

The BNP, which holds more than a two-thirds majority in parliament, secured the largely ceremonial post for Alamgir, defeating retired army officer-turned-politician Oli Ahmed of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance.

Alamgir won with 255 votes to Oli's 88 to become the 23rd president of the country of 173 million.

It was the first contested presidential election since 1991, when Bangladesh became a parliamentary democracy.

The vote comes after former president Mohammed Shahabuddin, a close ally of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned last month citing health concerns.

What did Alamgir and Oli say?

"I dream of a happy, prosperous, and welfare-oriented state where marginalized communities, hard-working people, and daily wage earners can afford meals twice a day," Alamgir, 78, said Thursday before the vote, according to the state news agency BSS.

His challenger, 87-year-old Oli, said the country had "high hopes" for his presidency.

"We expect you to serve the country by putting national interests above personal interests," he said after the vote.

Bangladesh's close ally China congratulated Alamgir, saying it looked forward to "a shared future in the new era," its high commission in the capital, Dhaka, said in a statement.

Who is Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir?

In February, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's BNP won a landslide victory in the first election since Hasina's 2024 ouster.

Hasina remains in exile in India. She was found guilty in absentia in November of crimes against humanity and sentenced to be hanged. Rights groups say her rule was marked by widespread abuses, including the murder of rivals and supression of political opposition.

Born in 1948, Alamgir entered politics while studying economics at Dhaka University. He was a key student leader in the 1969 uprising opposing military rule by Pakistan, before becoming an economics teacher. He joined the BNP in the early 1990s and rose steadily through its ranks.

He became well known nationally as an opposition leader during Hasina's 15-year rule and was repeatedly arrested under her government, facing dozens of charges he said were politically motivated.

Alamgir has been hailed in the media for "keeping the BNP organized and maintaining the party's political presence during difficult times," referring to Hasina's rule.

As president, he will serve as the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He is expected to be sworn in on Friday evening.