Bangladesh presidential race gets Mirza Fakhrul, Oli Ahmed as candidates

Bangladesh’s presidential election will feature candidates from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party alliance after both sides announced nominees on Thursday.

Prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman selected party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir (pictured) as its candidate, senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said. Rizvi said Fakhrul resigned as secretary general following the decision.

The 11-party alliance submitted the nomination of Liberal Democratic Party chairman Oli Ahmed to the Election Commission. Alliance coordinator Hamidur Rahman Azad said the group wanted a contested election.

“Whether we win or lose here is not the issue. We do not want any election to be held without competition,” Azad said.

Nomination papers will be scrutinized Aug. 16, with withdrawals due Aug. 18. Voting is scheduled for Aug. 20 in parliament.

The BNP holds a majority in Bangladesh’s Parliament, making Alamgir’s election as president all but certain.