Bangladesh Presidential Election Set for August 20

The presidential election of Bangladesh will be held on August 20. Voting will take place in the Parliament session room from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

​Election Commission (EC) Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced the election schedule to journalists on Thursday (August 6).

​According to EC sources, prospective candidates can submit their nomination papers until August 13, while the deadline for candidate withdrawal has been fixed for August 18.

​Earlier in the morning, Akhtar Ahmed informed the press that the Parliament Secretariat had transmitted the official voter list to the Election Commission. Upon receiving the list, the EC formally declared the election schedule.

​Under constitutional provisions, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Bir Bikrom) is currently discharging the duties of the President until a new president takes office. In his place, Deputy Speaker Kaisar Kamal is handling the responsibilities of the Speaker.

​The new president will be elected through a secret ballot cast by Members of Parliament (MPs). Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) A. M. M. Nasir Uddin will serve as the Returning Officer for the vote.

​The presidential seat became vacant following the resignation of former President Md. Sahabuddin on July 24. Under the law and the constitution, the EC is required to conduct the election to fill the vacant post within 90 days of the President’s resignation.