Dhaka, August 22: Newly elected President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir paid homage to the martyrs of the Liberation War at the National Martyrs’ Memorial in Savar on Saturday. This visit followed his oath-taking ceremony as Bangladesh’s 23rd president. During the event, he received a state salute from a contingent of the armed forces.
According to reports from the Bangladesh News Agency (UNB), Mirza Fakhrul took the oath of office on Friday evening. The ceremony took place at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban, where acting President Barrister Kaiser Kamal administered the oath at 7:37 PM.
On Saturday morning at 10 AM, President Mirza Fakhrul visited the National Martyrs’ Memorial to pay his respects to the martyrs. A well-equipped contingent from the three armed forces saluted him, while the ‘Last Post’ was played on the bugle.
Attendees included State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishrak Hossain, Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman, Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Rear Admiral Khondkar Misbah-ul-Azim, and other senior military officials.
Upon arriving at the memorial, the president greeted the state minister, heads of the armed forces, and other officials present. After the formal ceremony, he signed the visitor’s book and planted a sapling in the memorial grounds before departing.
Mirza Fakhrul, the candidate from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), won the presidential election against his sole rival, Colonel (Retired) Oli Ahmed, representing an 11-party opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. The election took place on Thursday.
As reported by the Dhaka Tribune, the 78-year-old Mirza Fakhrul was elected as the country’s 23rd president by members of parliament, receiving 255 votes, while his opponent secured 88 votes. Out of 349 eligible MPs, 343 cast their votes.
This election marked the first presidential race in Bangladesh with multiple candidates in 35 years, the last being in 1991. Since then, presidents have been elected unopposed.
Mirza Fakhrul’s political journey spans over five decades. Before entering politics, he was a teacher and a student activist influenced by leftist ideologies. He has been a prominent figure in the opposition during Sheikh Hasina’s long tenure, actively advocating for democratic rights and fair elections through BNP movements.
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