Presidential election on 20 Aug
Nominations will be submitted on 13 August.
The Election Commission (EC) has fixed 20 August for the country's upcoming presidential election.
Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed of the Election Commission Secretariat disclosed the election timetable during a press conference at the EC headquarters in Dhaka today (6 August).
According to the schedule, nomination papers will be submitted from 10am to 4pm on 13 August, and the scrutinising process will take place on 16 August. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is 18 August.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Voting will take place from 2pm to 5pm on 20 August in the session chamber of the parliament.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin is the returning officer of the election. Earlier, the EC received the voter list for the presidential election from the Parliament Secretariat.
There will be no voting in case of a single candidate.
On 24 July, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as the president of Bangladesh, and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took charge as the acting president.
The EC held a meeting with acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal on 28 July in line with the Presidential Election Act, 1991, which obliges the commission to consult with the speaker before the announcement of the schedule for the presidential election.
According to Article 123 (2) of the Constitution, an election to fill the vacant office of the president must be held within 90 days of the post becoming vacant due to resignation.
Under Article 50 (3) of the Constitution, the president resigns by submitting a signed letter addressed to the speaker. Article 54 states that if the office of the president falls vacant or the president is unable to perform the duties of the office, the speaker shall discharge the functions of the president until a new president assumes office.
Who will be the next head of state?
Under Article 48 (4) of the Constitution, a presidential candidate must be a citizen of Bangladesh, be at least 35 years old, and be qualified to be elected as a member of parliament.
The same individual may serve as president for a maximum of two terms.
With the ruling BNP holding a majority in parliament, the party is expected to determine the next occupant of the Bangabhaban.
While several senior BNP leaders' names have emerged in media speculation, the party has yet to reveal its choice, leaving open the possibility of a surprise nominee.
Among the names being speculated are LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who is also the BNP secretary general; and Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Abdul Moyeen Khan.
Former Dhaka University professor, economist and political analyst Mahbub Ullah is also seen as a candidate, according to media reports.
The BNP remains tight-lipped about its eventual nominee.
The absence of any official indication has also fuelled speculation that the party could even opt for a surprise candidate instead of a veteran political figure.
