Candidates must be at least 35, secure the support of two MPs and submit nomination papers by August 13

If you are a 35-year-old Bangladeshi citizen and can collect two lawmakers’ signatures, you can apply for the upcoming presidential election that is scheduled to be held on August 20.

To apply for the post of head of state in Bangladesh, no nomination fee is required.

Article 48(4) of the Constitution sets out the qualifications and disqualifications for contesting a presidential election.

It states that a person is disqualified from election as president if they are under 35, are not qualified to be elected as a member of parliament, or have been removed from the presidency through impeachment under the Constitution.

Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on July 24 as president. Following his resignation, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has been discharging duties as acting president.

Under the constitution, the EC is required to hold the election within 90 days of the vacancy.

The Election Commission today announced the schedule for the presidential election, setting August 20 as the polling date.

Polling will be held on that day from 2:00pm to 5:00pm at the Jatiya Sangsad.

According to EC, nomination papers will be submitted on August 13 between 10:00am and 4:00pm. The scrutiny of nomination papers will begin at 10:00am on August 16 and continue until the process is completed. Applicants can withdraw their nomination till 5:00pm on August 18.

EC Senior Secretary Akhter Ahmed this afternoon explained the timeline for announcing the presidential election schedule and addressed queries on nomination paper costs.

On why the schedule was announced before the voter list, Akhtar Ahmed told Media, “The voter list was not delayed. For the presidential election, the list of 349 members of parliament was published first. The schedule was released about half an hour later on the same day.”

Asked about the cost of nomination papers, he replied, “To the best of my knowledge, the nomination papers are free of cost.”

Under the constitution and the President Election Act 1991, the chief election commissioner acts as the returning officer. The CEC announces the election schedule after consulting the Speaker.

The commission has already begun preparations and on July 28, the constitutional body held preliminary discussions with Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal.

Following the meeting, CEC AMM Nasir Uddin said, “If there are multiple candidates, voting will take place openly in the parliament. If there is only one valid candidate, he or she will be declared elected unopposed.”

Under the constitution and the President’s Election Act, 1991, the nomination paper must have a proposer and a seconder who are MPs. When submitting the nomination paper, the candidate must also be accompanied by an MP.

On election day, the CEC will preside over the session. No other parliamentary business may take place that day, and voting can begin only after noon.

If no session is in progress, the Election Commission, after consulting the Speaker, issues a notification summoning parliament at least seven days before the voting date. In this case, the president does not need to summon parliament as in normal circumstances.

MPs must cast their votes in the parliament chamber before the election officer using prescribed ballot papers. They must mark the name of their preferred candidate and sign the ballot paper.

To collect a ballot paper, MPs must sign the counterfoil. Each member of parliament has only one vote. The Speaker, as a member of parliament, is also entitled to vote.

After voting ends, the CEC counts the votes publicly. In the event of a tie, the result is determined by lottery among the candidates.