Desk News || With decades of political and professional experience, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected as the 23rd President of Bangladesh. From his early involvement in left-wing student politics to his role as an organizer during the Liberation War, followed by a career in teaching, government service and mainstream politics, Fakhrul has traveled a long political journey before reaching the country’s highest constitutional office.The veteran politician was elected President through a direct vote by members of the National Parliament. Before taking up the presidency, the 78-year-old politician served as the Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. He also served for many years as the Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Early Life and EducationMirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was born on January 26, 1948, in the Kalibari area of Thakurgaon district. His father, Mirza Ruhul Amin, was an influential leader of the Muslim League and a former member of the East Pakistan Provincial Council.Fakhrul completed his primary and secondary education in Thakurgaon before studying at Dhaka College. He later enrolled in the Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka.During his university years, he became involved in the left-wing East Pakistan Students Union. Amid the mass uprising against the Pakistani military regime in 1969, he was elected president of the organization’s University of Dhaka unit.He also briefly became associated with the National Awami Party (NAP) of veteran politician Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, marking an early step into national politics. Role During the Liberation WarThe mass uprising of 1969 eventually paved the way for Bangladesh’s Liberation War in 1971. During the war, Fakhrul emerged as an important organizer among left-wing activists and freedom fighters. He later took refuge in India.Following independence, he entered the teaching profession in 1972. He taught economics at Dhaka College and several other government colleges. At the same time, he served as a Deputy Director at the Directorate of Inspection and Audit as part of his government career.During the administration of President Ziaur Rahman, Fakhrul served as the private secretary to then Deputy Prime Minister S. A. Bari. He also worked with the Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO. From Government Service to Mainstream PoliticsFakhrul left government service in 1986 to pursue a full-time political career. Two years later, in 1988, he was elected chairman of Thakurgaon municipality as an independent candidate. The position is now known as mayor.He joined the BNP in the early 1990s, during a period of intense anti-autocracy protests against then President Hussain Muhammad Ershad. He gradually rose through the party’s organizational structure, serving as a member of the executive committee and later as Senior Joint Secretary General.He also served for years as vice-president and later president of the BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Krishak Dal. Parliamentary and Ministerial CareerMirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was first elected to Parliament in the 2001 general election. After the BNP formed the government, he was appointed State Minister for Agriculture. He later served as State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism.He was elected to Parliament for a second time from a constituency in Bogura in the 2018 general election. However, following the party’s decision, he did not take the oath as a member of Parliament. Five other BNP lawmakers were allowed to join Parliament, but they later resigned in 2022 following a party directive.Following the February 2026 general election, the BNP secured a two-thirds majority and formed the government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Fakhrul subsequently took charge of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives. Longest-Serving BNP Secretary GeneralIn 2011, then BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia appointed Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the party’s Acting Secretary General. On March 30, 2016, he was given the position on a permanent basis.Fakhrul became the longest-serving Secretary General in the history of the BNP since the party was founded in 1978.His tenure as Secretary General coincided with one of the most challenging periods in the BNP’s history. The party faced prolonged political pressure, arrests and restrictions during the previous government’s long tenure. BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was also imprisoned and later faced serious health problems.During this period, BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman led the party from London. Fakhrul played a key role as one of the party’s senior frontline leaders, helping maintain the organization during a difficult political period. He was also imprisoned three times during his political career. Election as PresidentAfter a long career in politics, government and public service, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been elected the 23rd President of Bangladesh.Under the Constitution, he had to sever his formal relationship with the BNP after being elected President. An emotional ceremony was held to mark his departure from the party, with BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman also in attendance. Family LifeMirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir’s wife, Rahat Ara Begum, studied at the University of Calcutta and later worked for a private insurance company.The couple has two daughters, both of whom are involved in teaching and academia. Their elder daughter works as a postdoctoral fellow in Sydney, Australia, while their younger daughter teaches at an English-medium school in Dhaka. Political LegacyThroughout his long political career, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has earned a reputation as a moderate and courteous politician. Even political opponents, including members of rival political parties, have praised him personally.Following his election as President, political analysts, BNP leaders and politicians from different parties welcomed his appointment. They highlighted his long service to the party during difficult periods, as well as his inclusive political outlook and comparatively moderate approach.With experience spanning teaching, government service, local government, ministerial responsibilities and party politics, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir now begins a new chapter as Bangladesh’s 23rd President.