Dhaka, August 20, 2026. Bangladesh witnessed a significant parliamentary event on Thursday as lawmakers gathered at the Jatiya Sangsad to cast their ballots in the presidential election, 35 years after a similar parliamentary vote. The election features BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Oli Ahmed, the candidate backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance.
Dhaka, August 20, 2026. Bangladesh witnessed a significant parliamentary event on Thursday as lawmakers gathered at the Jatiya Sangsad to cast their ballots in the presidential election, 35 years after a similar parliamentary vote.
The election features BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Oli Ahmed, the candidate backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party electoral alliance.
One of the most notable moments of the voting process came when Prime Minister and Leader of the House Tarique Rahman cast his ballot alongside BNP's presidential candidate.
The prime minister and Leader of the House, Tarique Rahman, then cast his vote alongside BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The moment carried considerable political significance, particularly because BNP holds a commanding numerical position in parliament.
The voting process began with Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed casting his ballot. Acting Speaker Kaisar Kamal followed.
Government and opposition lawmakers are casting their votes in the Jatiya Sangsad. Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed voted first, followed by Acting Speaker Kaisar Kamal. After voting, they exchanged greetings with Opposition Leader Shafiqul Rahman and several other lawmakers.
The proceedings then moved to other members of parliament.
A ballot box was placed near the centre of the parliamentary chamber, allowing lawmakers to cast their votes individually under the supervision of the election authorities.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP nominee for president, is also a sitting member of parliament. He therefore participated in the voting process as both a candidate and an eligible voter.
BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul also cast his vote. Afterwards, he went to opposition lawmakers and exchanged greetings with them.
Following the vote, several government lawmakers approached Mirza Fakhrul. Members were also seen meeting and shaking hands with the presidential candidate and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The exchanges added an element of parliamentary courtesy to an otherwise highly consequential political event.
Opposition lawmakers also participated in the election according to the prescribed procedure.
Members of the 11-party electoral alliance led by Jamaat are casting their votes. Opposition Leader Shafiqul Rahman, Deputy Opposition Leader Abdullah Muhammad Taher, National Citizen Party lawmakers Hasnat Abdullah and Akhtar Hossain, among others, are voting one after another.
The participation of opposition lawmakers is significant because the presidential election is conducted through parliamentary voting.
Although the numerical balance heavily favours the BNP candidate, the presence of a competing nominee means that the formal voting procedure remains constitutionally necessary.
The voting process continued as lawmakers approached the ballot box individually.
Lawmakers are casting their votes one after another. Members of parliament including Selima Rahman, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Amanullah Aman cast their ballots individually. A ballot box was placed in the middle of the parliamentary chamber, where lawmakers deposited their ballots one by one.
The voting procedure follows specific instructions issued by the Election Commission.
Lawmakers are required to complete the necessary information and signature on the counterfoil before filling out and signing the main ballot according to the prescribed procedure.
Such measures are intended to preserve procedural integrity and voting secrecy.
Before voting began, Chief Election Commissioner A M M Nasir Uddin addressed the parliament.
The CEC addressed parliament and explained the voting procedure.
Nasir Uddin is serving as the election officer for the presidential election. He announced the names of the two presidential candidates as well as their respective proposers and seconders.
He then explained how lawmakers should complete their ballots, including the requirement to write their full names and provide signatures.
The CEC also announced that counting would begin after 5pm, following the conclusion of voting.
The BNP has 247 lawmakers in parliament, giving its presidential nominee a substantial numerical advantage over the candidate backed by the opposition alliance.
That arithmetic makes Mirza Fakhrul's election highly likely.
Yet the significance of the election extends beyond simple numbers.
The president occupies an important constitutional position, and the parliamentary election process provides the formal mechanism through which the office is filled. Consequently, every stage of the procedure, from nomination to voting and counting, carries institutional significance.
Even when the probable outcome appears clear, constitutional procedure still has to be followed.
If Mirza Fakhrul is elected president and assumes office, his parliamentary seat will become vacant because the positions of president and member of parliament cannot be held simultaneously.
His status therefore illustrates an unusual feature of the election. He is both a presidential candidate and a sitting lawmaker participating in the vote.
Oli Ahmed, the opposing candidate, is not a member of parliament and therefore does not have the right to vote in the parliamentary presidential election.
The scenes following the voting were also noteworthy.
Government lawmakers spoke with presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir after casting their votes.
Several lawmakers met him, shook hands and exchanged greetings.
Such interactions illustrate how parliamentary institutions can maintain elements of political courtesy even when parties are competing for power and influence.
The presidential election therefore represented not only a contest between two candidates but also an important test of parliamentary procedure and institutional conduct.
With 247 BNP lawmakers in parliament, Mirza Fakhrul entered the election with a decisive numerical advantage. Oli Ahmed's candidacy nevertheless ensured that the election proceeded as a formal contest rather than an uncontested nomination.
The vote count will ultimately determine the official result.
But the significance of the day's proceedings extends beyond the final tally. The election demonstrates how the country's constitutional framework operates when parliament is called upon to select the head of state.
Government and opposition lawmakers participated in the presidential election at the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday.
Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and Acting Speaker Kaisar Kamal voted first, followed by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and other government lawmakers. Opposition members subsequently cast their ballots.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also exercised his voting right as a sitting lawmaker and presidential candidate. After voting, he exchanged greetings with opposition lawmakers, while government members also met with him.
The prime minister's vote alongside BNP presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul became one of the day's most closely watched moments.
Although the parliamentary numbers strongly favour Mirza Fakhrul, the election process itself remains significant. The voting, ballot procedures, participation of government and opposition lawmakers and subsequent counting collectively form the constitutional pathway through which the country's next president is chosen.
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