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Bangladesh is set to hold a presidential election in Parliament after 35 years, with MPs scheduled to cast their votes on August 20 from 2pm to 5pm at designated booths inside the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
The election will be held during a special sitting of Parliament, with the votes counted and the result prepared and announced after polling ends.
Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni disclosed the details at a press briefing at the Parliament Media Centre on Tuesday following a meeting involving the Speaker, chief whip, opposition representatives, Election Commission officials and Parliament Secretariat officials on holding the election in a fair and transparent manner.
The last time Parliament voted in a presidential election was on October 8, 1991. BNP-nominated candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas was elected president after defeating the Awami League-nominated candidate Abdus Samad Azad.
According to the election schedule, August 13 (Wednesday) is the deadline for submitting and while August 16 for scrutinising the nomination papers and August 18 for withdrawing nomination papers. The BNP has yet to finalise its candidate, with the decision to be taken by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the chief whip said.
The opposition has nominated Colonel Oli Ahmed Bir Bikram for the presidential election, he added.
Under the existing system, MPs will cast their votes by writing the name of their preferred candidate on the ballot paper. They will also have to write their own names and seat numbers, meaning that the identity of voters can be determined.
Nurul Islam said the President, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition and Speaker would also cast their votes. Election Commission officials will oversee the polling, while Parliament Secretariat officials will provide necessary secretarial support.
There are 349 votes in total. If polling is completed before 5pm, the counting and preparation of the result can begin immediately. If any votes remain, polling will continue until the scheduled closing time.
Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam said the presidential election should have been held in accordance with the July Charter.
He said that after the referendum result favoured reforms, Parliament could have amended Article 70 of the Constitution and introduced other necessary reforms before holding the presidential election. Such reforms, he argued, could have strengthened the President’s powers, established a better balance of power and paved the way for a more respected and acceptable president.
Although those reforms were not carried out, the opposition did not want the election to be held uncontested, Nahid said. That was why the opposition had fielded a candidate.
The chief whip also said that under Article 70 of the Constitution, MPs cannot vote against their party’s decision.
The presidential election comes ahead of the third session of the 13th Parliament, which has been summoned for August 27 at 3pm by Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.