Dhaka, Aug 20 (V7N)- Bangladesh is set to hold its presidential election today after a gap of 35 years, with voting scheduled to take place in the parliament chamber of the National Assembly on Thursday (August 20).
A total of 349 members of parliament (MPs) will cast their votes to elect the country’s 23rd president. Voting will continue from 2pm to 5pm.
BNP candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 11-party Oikya Jote candidate Oli Ahmed are contesting the election.
Three transparent ballot boxes will be placed inside the parliament chamber for the voting process. MPs will cast their ballots according to the prescribed procedure and deposit them in the ballot boxes.
After voting ends, the ballots will be counted inside the parliament chamber. Election officer and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin will announce the result following the counting.
The Election Commission is expected to publish the official gazette announcing the result later on Thursday.
The newly elected president is scheduled to take the oath of office at the Bangabhaban Darbar Hall on Friday (August 21) evening.
The presidential election is taking place for only the second time since the parliamentary system of government was restored in 1991. The first presidential election under the restored parliamentary system was contested, but the following seven presidents were elected unopposed.
As a result, today’s election marks the first time in decades that members of parliament will have to choose between competing candidates in a presidential election.
END/SMA/AJ
