Former BNP secretary general and local government, rural development and cooperatives minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as the 23rd president of Bangladesh on Friday, while the government also inducted four ministers and two state ministers in its first major cabinet reshuffle since taking office.
The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban at 7:30pm on Friday. Acting Speaker of Parliament Barrister Kaiser Kamal administered the oath of office to the newly elected president.
Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani conducted the ceremony, which began with the national anthem, followed by a recitation from the Holy Quran.
After taking the oath, Mirza Fakhrul signed the oath document, which was authenticated by the acting speaker. Members of the three armed forces then presented a ceremonial salute to the new president.
In his oath, Mirza Fakhrul pledged to faithfully discharge the duties of the office of president in accordance with the law, maintain sincere faith and allegiance to Bangladesh, uphold, support and protect the Constitution, and act towards all people in accordance with the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill will.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman attended the ceremony with his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman. Also present were Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, who had been performing the duties of president, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury, former interim government chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus, Leader of the Opposition Shafiqul Rahman, cabinet members, MPs, foreign diplomats, senior civil and military officials, and leaders of various political parties.
After the oath-taking ceremony, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad congratulated the new president with flowers.
Victory in competitive presidential election
Mirza Fakhrul was elected president on Thursday in the country's first competitive presidential election in 35 years.
He defeated Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmad, the candidate of the 11-party opposition alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami.
Of the 349 eligible MPs, 343 cast valid votes. Mirza Fakhrul secured 255 votes, while Oli Ahmad received 88.
Six MPs did not cast their votes.
Those absent from the voting included BNP MPs Mirza Abbas, Mostafa Kamal Pasha and Dr Muhammad Osman Faruk, independent MP Rumeen Farhana, and Jamaat MP Gazi Nazrul Islam.
The Election Commission declared Mirza Fakhrul elected president on Thursday night and published the official gazette.
His swearing-in came a day after his decisive victory in the parliamentary vote.
From student politics to Bangabhaban
Mirza Fakhrul, became president after a political career spanning student activism, teaching, government service and frontline party politics.
Born on January 26, 1948, in the Kalibari area of Thakurgaon, Mirza Fakhrul completed his early education in Thakurgaon before studying at Dhaka College. He later earned bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Dhaka.
During his university years in the 1960s, he was involved with the left-leaning East Pakistan Students Union and served as president of its Dhaka University unit during the mass uprising against the Pakistani military regime in 1969.
During the 1971 Liberation War, he worked as an organizer and later took shelter in India.
After independence, he joined the teaching profession in 1972 and taught at several government colleges, including Dhaka College. He also served as deputy director of the Directorate of Inspection and Audit.
Mirza Fakhrul left government service in 1986 to enter mainstream politics. Two years later, he was elected chairman of Thakurgaon municipality as an independent candidate.
He joined the BNP in the early 1990s and gradually rose through the party hierarchy, serving as a member of its executive committee and later as senior joint secretary general. He also held leadership positions in the party's farmers' wing, Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal.
He was first elected to Parliament in the 2001 general election and became state minister for agriculture after the BNP formed the government. He later served as state minister for civil aviation and tourism.
He was elected to Parliament for a second time from a Bogura constituency in the 2018 election under the then Awami League government but did not take the oath in accordance with the BNP's decision.
In 2016, Mirza Fakhrul became BNP secretary general and went on to become the longest-serving secretary general in the party's history.
His elevation to the presidency marks a significant new chapter in his political career and a major change in Bangladesh's constitutional leadership.
