Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said no campaigning will be allowed during voting in Bangladesh’s presidential election on Thursday, August 20. Speaking to reporters at his office in the Election Building on Wednesday, he described the contest as historic and said the Election Commission had made maximum preparations to conduct it properly.

Nasir Uddin said the world was watching the election and expressed hope for a smooth process. He said voting is taking place in this election for the first time since 1991. The presidential post became vacant on July 24 after the 22nd president resigned citing illness, and the Election Commission announced the schedule on August 6.

BNP and like-minded parties’ candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is contesting against Oli Ahmed, candidate of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance. Members of parliament will vote, with 349 eligible voters because the Chattogram-4 seat is vacant. Voting will run from 2pm to 5pm, with vote casting and counting visible to voters. The chief election commissioner will announce final results, followed by a gazette publication the same day.