A Parliamentary Party meeting of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) began at the National Parliament on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s presidential election.
The meeting began at 4pm on the ninth floor of the National Parliament, with Leader of the House and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair, Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Jahidul Islam Rony said.
BNP-nominated presidential candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also joined the meeting.
Voting to elect the country’s 23rd president will begin at 2pm Thursday in the National Parliament chamber and continue until 5pm.
For the first time in 35 years, more than one candidate is contesting the presidential election, making a vote necessary.
The BNP and its allies have nominated Mirza Fakhrul, minister for LGRD and cooperatives and the party’s former secretary general, for the post.
The other candidate is Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, who has been nominated by the opposition 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.
A total of 349 members of parliament are eligible to vote in the presidential election.