Bangladesh elects ruling party veteran Alamgir as president
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party has been elected president of Bangladesh following the resignation of Mohammed Shahabuddin. The vote comes as the country continues its political transition following the 2024 fall of the Awami League government.
Why it matters
This election marks a significant leadership change in a nation navigating a fragile post-revolutionary political landscape.
Bangladesh elects Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir by parliamentary vote, filling vacancy after Shahabuddin’s early resignation.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info BNP's Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected president, a largely ceremonial role [File: Elke Scholiers/Getty Images] By Al Jazeera Staff , AFP and Reuters Published On 20 Aug 2026 20 Aug 2026 Members of parliament in Bangladesh have elected ruling party veteran Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the next president, following the premature resignation of the former president for health reasons.
Seventy-eight-year old Alamgir from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was declared the winner after a 255-to-88 parliamentary vote on Thursday. He defeated Oli Ahmed, 84, a retired army colonel, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and candidate of the 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.
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