Presidential election today; how voting to take place

The outcome is virtually predetermined by the numbers. Yet, with two candidates in the race, voting for the presidency will take place today, Thursday, for the first time in 35 years. Polling will be held in the chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. A total of 349 MPs are eligible to vote.

There are two candidates in the election: ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.

The BNP has 247 MPs in parliament. Given this numerical advantage, Mirza Fakhrul’s election as president is virtually certain. Nevertheless, with two candidates in the fray, voting must be held in accordance with the election schedule.

Following the reintroduction of the parliamentary system of government in 1991, the first presidential election under the system was held that same year. The next seven presidents were elected unopposed. This will be only the second time that MPs will cast ballots to elect the president.

Voting in the presidential election is not conducted by secret ballot. MPs will write the full name of their preferred candidate next to the candidate’s name on the ballot paper and sign it.

The new president is scheduled to take the oath of office at Bangabhaban at 7:00 pm tomorrow, Friday, according to the Chief Whip.

Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was elected president during the Awami League government, resigned from office on 24 July. Under the Constitution, a new president must be elected within 90 days if the office falls vacant following the president’s resignation.

Following this rule, the election commission (EC) announced the election schedule on 6 August.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin is serving as the returning officer for the presidential election. As parliament is not currently in session, a special sitting of MPs has been convened for the purpose of voting. The CEC will preside over the sitting and conduct the election.

MPs will cast their votes from their respective seats. First, they will write their full names and sign the counterfoil of the ballot paper before receiving the ballot. They will then write the full name of their preferred candidate in the designated space beside the candidate’s name on the ballot paper and sign it again.

Acting President and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad and Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal are also voters in the election in their capacity as MPs. Separate seats have been arranged for them in the chamber to cast their votes, according to sources at the Parliament Secretariat.

As BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is an MP, he will also be eligible to vote. His parliamentary seat will fall vacant on the day he assumes the office of president. Oli Ahmed, on the other hand, is not an MP and therefore will not be eligible to vote.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said BTV would broadcast live the voting of the acting president and the prime minister at the beginning of the polling process. The live broadcast would then be suspended and resumed during the counting of votes.

Once the counting is complete, the returning officer will announce the result in the parliamentary chamber. The result will subsequently be published in the official gazette, he added.

The Jatiya Sangsad has a total of 350 seats, including 50 reserved for women. However, following a court order, the result of the Chattogram-4 constituency in the 13th parliamentary election has yet to be announced. As a result, there are currently 349 MPs, who are also the voters in the presidential election.

The ruling BNP has 247 MPs. Its allies—the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP), Gono Odhikar Parishad and Ganosamhati Andolan—have one MP each.

The 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, meanwhile, has 90 MPs. Of these, 77 belong to Jamaat-e-Islami, while one reserved-seat woman MP was elected with Jamaat’s support. The alliance also includes eight MPs from the National Citizen Party (NCP), three from Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis and one from Khelafat Majlis.

Outside the two blocs, there is one MP from Islami Andolan Bangladesh and eight independent MPs. The BNP is understood to have sought the support of the independent MPs. A source familiar with the matter said the Islami Andolan MP may abstain from voting.

In the 1991 parliamentary election, no party secured an outright majority. The BNP won 140 seats, while the Awami League secured 88. The BNP formed the government with the support of Jamaat-e-Islami. In the presidential election that year, BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas won with 172 votes, while the Awami League’s candidate, Justice Badrul Haider Chowdhury, received 92 votes.

No opposition party fielded a candidate in subsequent presidential elections, making voting unnecessary. With the opposition alliance fielding a candidate this time, a presidential vote is being held again after 35 years.

Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni said MPs would vote in accordance with the party’s decision. “The presidential election is being held this time after 1991. Through this, a new journey for democracy will begin,” he said.