Ahead of the upcoming 23rd Presidential Election, the primary partners of the 11-Party Alliance—including Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, and the National Citizen Party (NCP)—have yet to finalize their party or coalition positions. Key member parties are holding separate and joint strategy meetings on Saturday (August 8) to evaluate options, including nominating an independent candidate, endorsing an existing candidate, or boycotting the election.
According to the official schedule announced by the Election Commission (EC), the presidential election is slated for August 20.
Per the EC roadmap, nomination papers must be submitted by August 13. Following scrutiny on August 16, if only a single valid candidate remains, that individual may be declared elected unopposed. Under the Constitution of Bangladesh, the President is elected solely by Members of Parliament. Given the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) absolute majority in the current parliament, their nominee holds a decisive advantage. Following the resignation of former President Mohammed Shahabuddin, Speaker Major (Retd.) Hafiz Uddin Ahmad Bir Bikrom is currently serving as the Acting President.
