Voting has begun in the election of the country’s 23rd president. Members of parliament began casting their ballots at 2pm on Thursday in the session chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. Polling will continue uninterrupted until 5pm.
After a gap of 35 years, the presidential election is once again being held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. BNP-nominated candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Oli Ahmed, nominated by an 11-party alliance, are contesting the election.
A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote. As he is also an MP, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will cast his own ballot. Oli Ahmed, however, is not an MP and therefore cannot vote.
Vote counting will begin in the parliamentary chamber immediately after polling ends at 5pm.
As Article 70 of the Constitution remains in force, MPs cannot vote against their party’s nominated candidate. Government Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni had earlier said that an MP could lose their parliamentary seat for voting against the party candidate. As a result, observers believe it is now only a matter of time before BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is elected president.
The Election Commission said the acting speaker will administer the oath of office to the new president at 7:30pm on Friday.
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