United News of Bangladesh

Chief Whip of Parliament Nurul Islam Moni on Tuesday said members of parliament will not be able to vote in the presidential election, slated for August 20, against their party's decision as Article 70 of the Constitution remains unchanged. “As Article 70 of the Constitution has not been amended, it will remain effective. No one will be able to vote beyond the party's decision. If anyone does so, their membership of Parliament will be cancelled,” he said at a press briefing at the Media Centre of Parliament after the 2026 presidential election preparatory meeting held at the Cabinet Room of Parliament. Acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal chaired the preparatory meeting. Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam and Whips Md G K Gouse, Rakibul Islam Bakul, Mia Nuruddin Ahmed Apu, Md Akhtaruzzaman Mia and A B M Ashraf Uddin Nizan also attended the meeting. Speaking at the meeting, Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal said the state structure must be freed from fascism in all spheres. “The 2026 presidential election is going to be held at a historic moment in building a fascism-free Bangladesh,” he said During the meeting, all necessary preparations, including the use of the Jatiya Sangsad chamber for holding the 2026 presidential election, all necessary logistical support and ensuring the attendance of Members of Parliament, were discussed. The meeting also instructed completing all necessary preparations and providing logistical support for the election. According to the election schedule announced by the Election Commission, the 2026 presidential election will be held in the Parliament chamber on Thursday, August 20. The Chief Election Commissioner will conduct the election as the return officer in line with the Presidential Election Act, 1991. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed, Parliament Secretary Golam Sorwar Bhuiyan and other senior officials concerned of the Parliament Secretariat were present at the meeting. At the press conference, Chief Whip Nurul Islam said the BNP's candidate for the presidential election has not yet been finalised. “The party has entrusted the Prime Minister with the responsibility of finalising the candidate. He will announce the candidate,” he said. He said the opposition has already nominated a candidate and the meeting was held to ensure a fair election. “According to the election schedule, voting will be held in the Parliament chamber from 2pm to 5pm on August 20,” he said. Nurul Islam said the voting will take place inside Parliament and a ballot box will be placed there. Members of Parliament will cast their votes according to their division and seat number, he added. He said preparations would be made to declare the result before the scheduled closing time if all 349 votes are cast within the first hour of voting. If it is found that one vote remains, it will wait until 5pm. After 5pm, the result will be announced, he said. The Chief Whip said the voting of the (Acting) President, Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition and (Acting) Speaker would be broadcast live. After voting is completed, the counting of votes and the process leading to the declaration of the result may also be broadcast live, he said. Opposition Chief Whip Nahid Islam said the presidential election should have been held in accordance with the “July Charter” to intensify acceptance and dignity of an elected president. As the election was being held anyway, the opposition did not want to allow it to take place without a contest, he said. About Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed whom the opposition alliance declared as the presidential aspirant, Nahid Islam said, “We believe that our candidate will be the most acceptable guardian of Bangladesh at this time.” If the July charter is implemented, members of Parliament would be able to express their views freely in all matters except money bills and confidence votes under Article 70. But the BNP had proposed adding two more issues to the exceptions — ‘constitutional amendments’ and ‘national security during war situations.  

The ruling BNP on Sunday collected two nomination forms for the upcoming presidential election. BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi and Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni collected the forms from the Returning Officer’s office in the Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon. Speaking to the media, Moni said they collected two forms for the same candidate to avoid any mistakes or omissions in the nomination process. “We have taken the forms for one person, but collected two so that there is no error or omission. The forms have not been collected in anyone’s name,” he said. The chief whip said the party will submit the nomination papers according to the election schedule. In 2023, the then ruling Awami League also collected two nomination forms for the presidential election. Two nomination papers were submitted in the name of then presidential candidate Mohammed Shahabuddin, with one being declared valid and the other automatically cancelled. There is no restriction on collecting or submitting more than one nomination paper for a single candidate. Earlier on August 6, the EC announced the schedule for the presidential election, setting August 20 as the voting date, following the resignation of Shahabuddin as President on July 24. According to the schedule, nomination papers can be submitted from 10:00am to 4:00pm on August 13, while scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on August 16. The last date for withdrawal of candidature is August 18. If there is more than one candidate, voting will be held from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on August 20 in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The 11-party alliance, led by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has already announced that it will field a candidate for the presidential election. On Sunday, it chose Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Col (retd) Oli Ahmad as its presidential election candidate. If the contest takes place, it will be the first presidential election involving more than one candidate since 1991, when the parliamentary system was restored. In the 1991 election, BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas defeated Awami League candidate Badrul Haider Chowdhury. In subsequent presidential elections, candidates nominated by the ruling parties were elected unopposed. As the President is elected by Members of Parliament, the BNP candidate is expected to secure victory due to the party’s single majority in Parliament. Article 70 of the Constitution prevents lawmakers from voting against their respective political parties in Parliament. If Parliament is not in session, Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will convene a one-day sitting in consultation with the Speaker. If more than one candidate remains in the race, the CEC will convene the sitting seven days before the scheduled polling date. The sitting, however, will not be considered a regular parliamentary session.

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday announced the schedule for the presidential election, with voting set to take place on August 20. EC Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed announced the schedule at a press conference at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital in the afternoon. According to the schedule, nomination papers will be submitted from 10:00am to 4:00pm on August 13. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on August 16, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is August 18. Voting will take place from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on August 20 in the session chamber of the Jatiya Sangsad. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin is the returning officer of the presidential election. Earlier, the EC received the voter list for the presidential election from the Parliament Secretariat following its request. The voting will not be held in case of a single candidate. On July 24 last, Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned as President and Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took charge as the acting president . The EC, led by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, held a meeting with acting Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal on July 28 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.

The presidential election will be held on time and candidates for the post will be nominated according to the party’s decision, LGRD Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Monday. He made the remarks while responding to journalists' questions after inaugurating the divisional office of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) in the Terminal area of Rangpur city. Mirza Fakhrul said the BNP is a democratic political party. “Through a long struggle, our party formed the government with a two-thirds majority in parliament with the love and votes of the people,” he said. He said the BNP had fulfilled the responsibility of running the government not once, but five times. “Those who call BNP a fascist either lack knowledge or have developed such a mentality,” he added. The minister also urged the Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer to read his party’s constitution carefully and assess how democratic the party is. Regarding local government elections, he said the Election Commission would decide on the issue of educational qualifications for candidates. “If not by the end of this year, the local government elections will be held early next year,” he said. Mirza Fakhrul also said the government has waived interest on agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000 to support agricultural development. He added that the Prime Minister announced maximum allocation for agricultural development in the Rangpur region and that all necessary steps would be taken to make agriculture profitable. Later, Mirza Fakhrul inaugurated a rural fair organised at the Rangpur Public Library grounds, visited different stalls and attended a community meeting at the Shilpakala Academy. Rangpur Development Authority Chairman Shamsuzzaman Samu, Divisional Commissioner Shahidul Islam (NDC), Rangpur Range DIG Aminul Islam, Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Ruhul Amin, Rangpur Zilla Parishad Administrator Saiful Islam, government officials and employees, and BNP leaders and activists were present.

The Election Commission (EC) would seek appointment of the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad to discuss the Presidential election schedule, said EC senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed on Sunday. “As per tradition, the Chief Election Commissioner meets the Speaker before the announcement of the Presidential election,” he said. The EC Secretary disclosed the development to reporters after a meeting at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city’s Agargaon area. Now Barrister Kayser Kamal is serving as the acting Speaker as the Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad took the charge as the acting President following the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Friday last. Article 54 of the Constitution provides that the Speaker shall discharge the functions of the President until a new President is elected. While the Speaker is acting as President, Article 74(3) provides that the Speaker's functions shall be performed by the Deputy Speaker. The Election Commission held the meeting on Sunday to review the legal provisions relating to the presidential election and decided that the CEC would meet the Acting Speaker to discuss the next steps before the election schedule is announced. According to the Presidential Election Act, 1991, the Election Commission must consult the Speaker before issuing the election schedule.  If Parliament is in session, the Commission is required to issue the election notification at least seven days before the polling date. If Parliament is not in session, the Commission, in consultation with the Speaker, must convene a meeting of Members of Parliament at least seven days before the election. As part of the process, the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat will send the list of MPs to the EC, which will prepare and publish the electoral roll for the presidential election before announcing the schedule. The Article 123(2) of Constitution stipulates that an election to fill a vacancy caused by the death, resignation or removal of the President must be completed within 90 days of the vacancy. Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will act as the Returning Officer for the presidential election which will be held with direct votes of Members of Parliament. Under the Presidential Election Act, a candidate's nomination paper must be proposed by one MP and seconded by another. The candidate securing the highest number of votes will be declared elected by the CEC. In the event of a tie, the result will be determined by a lottery, and the CEC's declaration of the result will be final.

In a significant development, the majority of political parties participating in the National Consensus Commission's second round of discussions have expressed support for changing the current presidential election process to an Electoral College-based system. The discussions were held on Thursday at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital, where representatives from various parties deliberated on three different models — all within the framework of the Electoral College system. Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Nayeb-e-Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, told journalists that one proposed model suggests a bicameral legislature, with 100 reserved seats for women, making up a total of 500 votes for the presidential election through both upper and lower houses. He mentioned that several participants proposed the inclusion of 76 additional votes from Zila Parishads and City Corporations. EC gives nod to draft code banning posters in election campaigns “Regardless of the exact process, we support the extended Electoral College system,” said Taher, adding, “We have also recommended that the presidential election be conducted through secret ballots. All internal elections of Jamaat are held through secret ballots; the presidential election of the country should follow the same principle.” Speaking on behalf of the Gono Adhikar Parishad, President Nurul Haque Nur said, “The method of election is still under discussion. Some have suggested incorporating Union Parishads into the Electoral College, which would add another 70,000 votes beyond the existing 576.” Nur also raised concerns regarding the impartiality of the Commission, noting, “Bias towards one or two parties is still evident. This must be addressed. Additionally, several allies of the 14-party alliance led by the Awami League have been invited by the Commission. We will not support any party that aligns with fascist elements.” Jonayed Saki, Chief Coordinator of the Gonosonghoti Andolon, echoed support for the Electoral College system, saying, “We agree on the need for a presidential election through an Electoral College, and we are even willing to compromise to reach a decision on this matter.” Political parties involved in the dialogue agreed that the process would be significantly more effective if Article 70 of the Constitution were amended and voting conducted through secret ballots. They also emphasised the need for establishing a more balanced distribution of power between the President and the Prime Minister.

The head of Poland's parliament said Wednesday that the country's presidential election will be held on May 18, with a runoff on June 1 if needed. The election will decide whether the pro-European Union Cabinet of Prime Minister Donald Tusk will gain an ally in the presidential palace at a challenging time for Poland and for Europe, with a full-scale war in neighbouring Ukraine. The incumbent right-wing President Andrzej Duda is at odds with the government, blocking legislation and making strongly critical comments. In the latest spat, Duda chose skiing over attending a concert gala marking the launch of Poland's rotating presidency in the EU. Duda is to leave office in August, ending his second five-year term. He cannot seek another term, according to Poland’s constitution. Szymon Holownia, the powerful speaker of the lower house of parliament, or Sejm, has declared he will run for president as head of Poland 2050, a party within the ruling coalition. Austrian FM Schallenberg appointed as interim govt leader He said he was announcing the election date early in the political calendar to allow ample time for procedures and campaigning, which can officially begin from Jan. 15. The powers of the president are limited in Poland, where the government decides on domestic and international policy. The president is the supreme commander of the armed forces, cooperating with the government. He can propose legislation and veto new laws and also has a say on Poland's foreign relations. The chief governing party, the Civic Coalition, has chosen Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski as its candidate for president. Tusk, the party's leader and former head of the European Union, has chosen to stay in his government seat. The right-wing opposition party, Law and Justice, backs historian Karol Nawrocki in the election. Nawrocki, now head of a national history institute, IPN, has been a controversial figure. Recent media reports allege Nawrocki had ties to hard-right groups and acquaintances in criminal circles. Nawrocki denies the allegations. Law and Justice was ousted in the 2023 general election after eight years of turbulent, euro-sceptic rule. Duda hailed from the party and was largely its ally. A far-right leader, Slawomir Mentzen, is running in the election for the Konfederacja (Confederation) party.

Paraguayan police on Friday detained Paraguayo Cubas, a far-right populist who came in third in Sunday’s presidential election and encouraged his supporters to protest over his unsubstantiated claims that the vote was marred by fraud. Cubas was being held in preventive detention under an order by the Attorney General’s Office that is accusing him of breach of the peace, Police Commissioner Gilberto Fleitas said in a radio interview. Cubas, the candidate of the National Crusade Party who received 23% of the votes Sunday, was broadcasting live on Facebook when officers detained him outside his hotel in San Lorenzo, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Asunción. Fleitas said Cubas got into a police vehicle “without any difficulty," but he continued streaming live. In his broadcast from inside the police vehicle, Cubas chatted with officers and focused the camera on his handcuffs. “You can see now I’m being imprisoned,” he said. “All the criminals in this country should be handcuffed like Paraguayo Cubas.” Cubas had been telling supporters since Monday that he was heading to the capital to lead a series of protests that had led to isolated clashes with police, largely outside the electoral court in Asunción. “We will remain on the streets until Paraguayo Cubas is released,” said Juan Reyes, one of hundreds of Cubas supporters who took part in demonstrations outside the electoral court. At least 208 people have been detained “for disturbance of public peace and other punishable offenses within the framework of the demonstrations taking place in the national territory,” police said Thursday. Efraín Alegre, who as the candidate of a broad-based opposition coalition came in second place during Sunday’s election, demanded Cubas be released along with everyone who has been detained in protests this week. “We demand the release of Paraguayo Cubas and all citizens imprisoned for demanding transparency," Alegre wrote on social media. Alegre, who received 27% of the vote Sunday, conceded the race shortly after polls closed, but then on Monday called for a manual count of votes and an international audit of the country’s electronic voting system after Cubas aired his fraud allegations. The Organization of American States, which deployed an observation mission for the election, said Tuesday there was “no reason to doubt the results” of the vote count. Santiago Peña of the long-ruling Colorado Party easily won Sunday’s presidential election with 43% of the vote. Over the past few days, Cubas has published images of supporters welcoming him in different parts of the country as he made his way toward the capital from Ciudad del Este, a city on the border with Brazil and Argentina. Some 1,500 to 1,800 law enforcement officers were deployed outside the electoral court Friday for the protest staged by Cubas supporters. Authorities also prepared for any demonstration outside the police station where Cubas was taken.

A High Court bench today felt “embarrassed” to hear a writ petition filed challenging the process of electing Mohammad Shahabuddin as president. The bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel was set to hear the petition. But it forwarded the petition to the chief justice for a decision, saying one of the bench members felt embarrassed to hear the writ petition. Justice Ahmed Sohel expressed embarrassment, saying he was a lawyer at Anti-Corruption Commission for five years. Also Read: Controversy over President-elect unexpected: CEC   Supreme Court lawyer MA Aziz Khan filed the writ petition with the concerned branch of the High Court on March 7. The Election Commission and the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) had been made respondents in the writ petition. The writ petition was filed challenging the process through which the president was elected, and the gazette that was published later. “Mohammad Shahabuddin was a former Commissioner of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). According to Section 9 of the ACC Act 2004, A former ACC Commissioner is not permitted to hold any profitable position,” he said. Mohammad Shahabuddin, a retired judge and former Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission, was elected as the country's 22nd president. On February 13, a gazette was issued declaring him elected as President of Bangladesh under Section 7 of the Presidential Election Act, 1991. Mohammad Shahabuddin will succeed current President M. Abdul Hamid after his term expires on April 23.    

Ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu was declared winner of Nigeria's presidential election early Wednesday, with the two leading opposition candidates already demanding a revote in Africa's most populous nation. Election officials' overnight announcement was likely to lead to a court challenge by his main opponents Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Abubakar also finished second in the last vote in 2019, then appealed those results before his lawsuit ultimately was dismissed. On Tuesday, the two leading opposition parties had demanded a revote, saying that delays in uploading election results had made room for irregularities. The ruling All Progressives Congress party urged the opposition to accept defeat and not cause trouble. Tinubu received 37% of the vote, or nearly 8.8 million, while main opposition candidate Abubakar won 29% with almost 7 million. Third-place finisher Obi took 25% with about 6.1 million, according to the results announced on live television by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Also Read: Nigerian delegation discusses Dhaka-Abuja trade potential with BGMEA Tinubu "having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” said the country’s election chief, Mahmood Yakubu. The announcement came after 4 a.m., but celebrations already had started late Tuesday at the ruling party’s national secretariat where Tinubu’s supporters had gathered in anticipation of his victory. “None of the others matches his record!” said Babafemi Akin as he chatted excitedly about the prospects of a Tinubu administration. “I am sure he will do well.” Tinubu, 70, is the former governor of Lagos state, home to Nigeria's megacity of the same name. However, he lost the state in Saturday's election to Obi, who drew a strong following among younger voters eager for change. The parties now have three weeks to appeal results, but an election can be invalidated only if it's proven the national electoral body largely didn’t follow the law and acted in ways that could have changed the result. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has never overturned a presidential election, though court challenges are common, including by outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, who doggedly fought his past election losses for months in vain. Nigeria’s presidential election has been closely watched as the country is not only the continent’s largest economy but it is also one of the continent’s top oil producers. Observers have said Saturday’s election was mostly peaceful, though delays caused some voters to wait until the following day to cast their ballots. Many Nigerians had difficulties getting to their polling stations because of a currency redesign that resulted in a shortage of bank notes.