Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir assumed the presidency of Bangladesh at an oath-taking ceremony held at Bangabhaban in Dhaka on Friday. Alamgir thus began his term as the country’s 23rd president.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Kaiser Kamal presided over the ceremony. The prime minister, cabinet members, opposition lawmakers and state guests were also present at Bangabhaban.
After taking the oath and assuming office, Alamgir presided over the swearing-in ceremony of six new members joining Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s cabinet. Four of the members will serve as ministers, while two will serve as state ministers.
Number of ministers in government rises to 51
Following the restructuring, changes and dismissals outlined in the government’s official gazette notification, the total number of ministers in the cabinet rose to 51.
Alamgir, one of the leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was elected to a five-year presidential term in Thursday’s election. Alamgir received 255 votes, while retired Colonel Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, received 88.
Six lawmakers were absent during the vote, and one parliamentary seat was vacant. Bangladesh’s parliament has 300 elected seats, with 50 additional seats reserved for women.
Opposition candidate contested election after 35 years
The election for the largely ceremonial presidency stood out because an opposition candidate contested the race for the first time in 35 years. During that period, the opposition had not nominated a candidate for the office.
Alamgir, 78, emerged as the de facto leader of the BNP while the party’s late chairperson, Khaleda Zia, was imprisoned and Tarique Rahman, then the party’s acting chairman, spent 17 years in exile in the United Kingdom. That period covered much of the 15-year rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Shahabuddin resigns on health grounds
Mohammed Shahabuddin, who served as president during Hasina’s Awami League government, resigned on July 24 on health grounds, two years before the end of his five-year term.
Following Shahabuddin’s departure, Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed served as interim president.
