Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as Bangladesh's 23rd President on Friday evening in a ceremony at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban.
Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal administered the oath at 7:30pm moments after the president-elect's arrival was announced with a bugle call and guests rose in his honour. Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani conducted the proceedings, which opened with the national anthem and a Quran recitation. Fakhrul also took an oath to safeguard state secrets.
Seated in the front row were Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his wife Zubaida Rahman, Fakhrul's wife Rahat Ara Begum, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, Leader of the Opposition Shafiqur Rahman and the three service chiefs. Also present were senior BNP leaders, opposition party heads, cabinet members, lawmakers and figures from business, law and academia.
Mirza Fakhrul formerly BNP's secretary general and local government minister won the presidency in Thursday's special parliamentary session by defeating Jamaat-e-Islami-backed candidate Oli Ahmad by 255 votes to 88. Of 349 eligible lawmakers 343 voted. The Election Commission subsequently issued a gazette confirming his victory under the Presidential Election Act, 1991.
The post fell vacant after Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on 24 July before completing his term.
