Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as Bangladesh’s 23rd president on Friday evening at Bangabhaban, according to the report published on August 21, 2026. Acting Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal administered the oath. Fakhrul was elected president by members of parliament on Thursday after former president Md. Sahabuddin resigned on July 24, with about one and a half years remaining in his term.

The BNP nominated its secretary general for the presidency after the election schedule was announced earlier this month. He will reside at Bangabhaban for the next five years. The report describes his progression from student politics and teaching to elected chair of Thakurgaon municipality, before his rise in national politics.

Fakhrul joined BNP in 1990 and later served as a lawmaker and state minister in the BNP-led four-party alliance government. He became BNP’s acting secretary general in 2011 and full secretary general in 2016. Political analyst Mohiuddin Ahmad said Fakhrul showed a firm position while BNP faced difficult circumstances, including arrests and pressure on its senior leadership. Professor Shamsul Alam described him as polite, humble and hardworking.