Mirza Fakhrul sworn in as 23rd president of Bangladesh

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir took oath as the 23rd president of Bangladesh.

The veteran politician took oath as president around 7:30pm on Friday at a ceremony held at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban.

Acting Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Kayser Kamal administered the oath of office of the country’s highest constitutional post to Mirza Fakhrul Islam.

Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, who was serving as president, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, former chief adviser of the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus, Leader of the Opposition in Jatiya Sangsad Shafiqul Rahman, members of the current cabinet, foreign diplomats, members of parliament, and senior officials of the civil and military forces were present at the oath-taking ceremony at Bangabhaban. Leaders of various political parties were also among the guests.

The oath-taking ceremony began at 7:30pm in the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban with the national anthem, conducted by Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani.

This was followed by a recitation from the Holy Quran. Acting Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Kayser Kamal then administered the oath to the president.

In his oath, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, “I, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, do solemnly swear or affirm that I will faithfully perform the duties of the office of the President of Bangladesh in accordance with the law. I will bear true faith and allegiance to Bangladesh. I will preserve, support and protect the Constitution. I will, without being influenced by fear or favour, affection or ill-will, show proper conduct towards all in accordance with the law.”

After taking the oath, Mirza Fakhrul signed the oath document, which was authenticated by the acting speaker.

Earlier, the presidential election was held in parliament on Thursday. As there were multiple candidates, the presidential election was held this year after 35 years. Of the 349 members of the current parliament, 343 voted in the election. Mirza Fakhrul, the candidate of the ruling BNP, won the election with 255 votes.

His rival, Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, received 88 votes. Mirza Fakhrul, the victorious candidate, took oath as president the day after being elected by a huge margin.

Before being elected to the country’s highest constitutional post, 78-year-old politician Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir had been serving as the minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

Besides, he had been serving as BNP secretary general since 2016. Before that, he had served as the party’s acting secretary general for five years.

Mirza Fakhrul is the longest-serving secretary general of the BNP. During the Awami League government, his leadership added an important dimension to BNP politics.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was born on 26 January 1948, in the Kalibari area of Thakurgaon district. After completing his primary and secondary education in Thakurgaon, he studied at Dhaka College at the higher secondary level.

He later completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Dhaka. While studying at the university in the 1960s, Mirza Fakhrul became involved with the left-leaning student organisation East Pakistan Students Union (EPSU).

During the mass uprising against the then Pakistani military junta in 1969, he was president of the organisation’s University of Dhaka unit.

According to the state-run news agency BSS, Mirza Fakhrul emerged as an important organiser during the Liberation War in 1971. He later took refuge in India.

After independence, Mirza Fakhrul joined the teaching profession in 1972. He taught at various government colleges, including Dhaka College. At the same time, as part of his government service, he served as deputy director of the Directorate of Inspection and Audit.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam left government service in 1986 to join mainstream politics. Two years later, he was elected as the municipal chairman (now mayor) of his birthplace, the northern district of Thakurgaon, as an independent candidate.

Mirza Fakhrul joined the BNP in the early 1990s. He initially became a member of the party’s executive committee and later served as senior joint secretary general.

He also served for a long time as vice-president and later president of the party’s affiliate organisation, the Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was elected a member of parliament for the first time in the 2001 election. When the BNP formed the government after that election, he was appointed state minister for agriculture. He later also served as state minister for civil aviation and tourism.

He was elected a member of parliament for the second time from a constituency in Bogura during the controversial 2018 election under the then Awami League government.

However, following the party’s decision, Mirza Fakhrul did not take oath as a member of parliament at the time.