BNP parliamentary party meets ahead of presidential election

A parliamentary party meeting of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has begun at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka ahead of Thursday’s presidential election.

The meeting of the BNP parliamentary party started at 4pm Wednesday on the parliament’s ninth floor with Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair, said Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony.

BNP-nominated presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also joined the meeting.

Voting for electing the country’s 23rd president will begin at 2pm on Thursday in the Jatiya Sangsad chamber and continue until 5pm.

For the first time in 35 years, more than one candidate is contesting the presidential election, making a vote necessary.

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Presidential polls tomorrow

BNP and its allies nominated Mirza Fakhrul, LGRD and cooperatives minister and the party’s former secretary general, for the post.

The other candidate is Col (retd) Oli Ahmed, who has been nominated by the opposition 11-party alliance led by the Jamaat-e-Islami.

A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote in the presidential election.