The nomination paper of BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir for the presidential election has been declared valid.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the returning officer for the presidential election A M M Nasir Uddin declared the nomination valid following scrutiny at the Election Commission headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, on Sunday.
The nomination papers were examined in the CEC's conference room at the Election Building. BNP Standing Committee members Abdul Moyeen Khan and Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, National Parliament Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni and Whip Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu were present on behalf of the party.
Two nomination papers were submitted in Mirza Fakhrul’s name. As per the rules, once one nomination paper was declared valid, the other was automatically cancelled.
Earlier, the nomination paper of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by the main opposition Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, was also declared valid.
Two nomination papers were submitted in Oli Ahmed’s name as well. One was automatically cancelled after the other was declared valid.
According to the election schedule announced by the Election Commission, the final day for withdrawing nomination papers for the presidential election is 18 August. Voting will take place on 20 August.
A session of the National Parliament has been called for 20 August for the presidential election. Voting will be held in the Parliament Chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The voters in this election are the Members of Parliament and the president is elected through their open vote.