Acting Speaker Kaiser Kamal will administer the oath of office to Bangladesh’s newly elected president, according to the Law Ministry’s interpretation of relevant constitutional provisions. Voting for the country’s 23rd presidential election is scheduled for Thursday from 2pm to 5pm at the Jatiya Sangsad, marking the first presidential election by vote in 35 years.

The Cabinet Division sought the Law Ministry’s opinion on who should administer the oath. The ministry said Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram is serving as acting president under Article 54 of the constitution. Under Article 74(3), the deputy speaker is therefore carrying out the speaker’s duties and is constitutionally the appropriate authority to administer the oath.

BNP nominee Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will contest the election against Colonel (Retd) Oli Ahmed Bir Bikram, candidate of an 11-party alliance led by Jamaat-e-Islami. Of the 349 lawmakers eligible to vote, 50 hold reserved seats for women; the Chattogram-4 seat is vacant. The oath ceremony is scheduled for 7:30pm Friday at Bangabhaban’s Darbar Hall.