Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
With Mohammed Shahabuddin stepping down as Bangladesh’s president, political attention has shifted to who will occupy the country’s highest constitutional office next.
As the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) enjoys a parliamentary majority, it is expected to nominate the next president, though the party has not announced its choice. Senior leaders being discussed include BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Abdul Moyeen Khan and Nazrul Islam Khan, while reports also suggest a surprise candidate remains possible.
Prime Minister’s adviser and BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the party’s top policymaking forum would decide the next president. Law minister Asaduzzaman said the election would be held during Parliament’s September session, ruling out the need for a special session.
Under the Constitution, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad will serve as acting president until a successor is elected within 90 days. The Election Commission will announce the schedule, and only elected MPs will vote. A presidential candidate must be a Bangladeshi citizen aged at least 35 and qualified to become an MP. If only one valid nomination remains, the candidate will be elected unopposed, as Shahabuddin was in 2023.