BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is set to become Bangladesh’s 23rd president after the ruling party nominated him for the presidential election scheduled for 20 August.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced Fakhrul’s nomination on Thursday following a meeting of senior party leaders chaired by Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman at the Prime Minister’s Office in Dhaka.
Fakhrul resigned as the BNP secretary general and from the party’s Standing Committee after being selected as the presidential candidate.
His election is effectively assured as the BNP and its allies control 250 seats in parliament, giving them more than the two-thirds majority needed to secure the presidency.
The Jamaat-e-Islami-led opposition alliance has nominated Liberal Democratic Party Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad. However, the alliance commands only 90 parliamentary votes.
The presidential election will be held on 20 August.
