Bangladesh Sees First Direct Presidential Contest in Nearly Three Decades

Bangladesh goes to the polls on Thursday to elect a new president. After nearly 35 years, the country will see a direct contest for the presidency. Senior leader of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and candidate of the 11-party opposition alliance retired Colonel Oli Ahmed are facing off. The 78-year-old Alamgir is considered a strong contender in this election as the BNP has a two-thirds majority in parliament. According to the Bangladesh Election Commission, voting for the presidential election will be held in parliament i.e. Jatiya Sangsad from 2 pm to 5 pm on Thursday. BNP has nominated 78-year-old Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while 84-year-old Oli Ahmed is the candidate of the 11-party opposition alliance. Oli Ahmed is the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and has the support of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led alliance. The Election Commission declared the nomination papers of both candidates valid on 16 August. Notably, this is the first time after decades that the presidential election of Bangladesh is being held unopposed or uncontested. The presidential election of the BNP is usually held on a single day before a presidential election.