Prime Minister, opposition leader embrace Mirza Fakhrul after announcement of results

BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has won the election for the country’s 23rd President by a wide margin.

The veteran politician was congratulated with loud applause in parliament after his victory. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, who served as the election authority, announced the result.

After the result was announced, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir embraced, one after another, Opposition Leader and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, Deputy Opposition Leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Opposition Chief Whip and National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam, and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, along with other members of parliament.

Voting in the presidential election took place at the Jatiya Sangsad from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on Thursday. Mirza Fakhrul, the BNP candidate, faced Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat. Of the 349 members of the current parliament, 343 cast their votes. Mirza Fakhrul received 255 votes and Oli Ahmed 88.

At 5:00pm, the CEC declared voting closed and announced that counting would begin. The ballots were then counted. During the counting, lawmakers watched from their seats. Several whips, including Chief Whip Md Nurul Islam and Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam, stood in front of the table to observe the counting.

The CEC announced the election results at 5:20pm. He said 349 ballot papers had been printed for the election, of which 343 were used. All 343 used ballots were valid, while six remained unused. Oli Ahmed received 88 votes and Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir 255. The CEC then declared Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir elected president.

At the time the result was announced, Mirza Fakhrul was seated beside the prime minister. As soon as he was declared the winner, he stood up and gestured a salute to the prime minister. The prime minister also stood and shook hands with him. He then congratulated Mirza Fakhrul by presenting him with a red rose. After shaking hands with the prime minister, Mirza Fakhrul greeted everyone.

Mirza Fakhrul then got up from his seat and went forward. There, he embraced Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman, Deputy Opposition Leader Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam, senior Jamaat lawmakers ATM Azharul Islam, Mujibur Rahman and Rafiqul Islam Khan, one after another.

Mirza Fakhrul then embraced Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. He subsequently exchanged embraces with Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, BNP lawmaker Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Social Welfare Minister AZM Zahid Hossain and others.