Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as Bangladesh’s 23rd president at Bangabhaban on Friday evening.
Acting Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal administered the oath to the newly elected president at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban at 7:30pm.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, cabinet members, lawmakers, foreign diplomats, and senior civil and military officials attended the ceremony.
Mirza Fakhrul, the BNP candidate and former secretary general of the party, was elected president with 255 votes in the presidential election held at the Parliament on Thursday.
His rival, Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, the candidate of an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami, received 88 votes.
A total of 343 of the 349 lawmakers listed as voters cast their ballots.
Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin declared Mirza Fakhrul the winner after the votes were counted. The Election Commission later issued a gazette notification formally declaring him elected president.
With the oath, Mirza Fakhrul formally assumed office as the country’s highest constitutional office.
Special security and traffic arrangements had been put in place in and around Bangabhaban ahead of the ceremony.