Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Chairman Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed will contest the upcoming presidential election as the candidate of the 11-party alliance.

This was officially announced at a press conference held at the official residence of the opposition leader in parliament on Sunday (August 9) afternoon. This marks the second time since 1991 that the presidential election is being held.

After the re-introduction of parliamentary democracy, there is a precedent of only one opposition party fielding a candidate in 1991. At that time, the Awami League nominated Justice Badrul Haider Chowdhury for the presidential post from the opposition. In that election, he was defeated by BNP candidate Abdur Rahman Biswas by 80 votes. Since then, the ruling party's nominated candidates have been elected president unopposed every time.

In the 13th National Parliament election held on February 12 of this year, BNP won a majority by winning 211 seats out of 300 seats. And the Jamaat-led alliance won 68 seats.

In addition, among the BNP alliance partners, BJP, Gana Sanghati Andolan and Ganadhikar Parishad won one seat each. In the Jamaat alliance, the National Citizen Party won 6, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis 2 and Khelafat Majlis one seat. In addition, 7 independents and the Islamic Andolan won one seat.

The meeting was presided over by Jamaat Ameer Dr. Shafiqur Rahman. The meeting was also attended by Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Maulana Mamunul Haque, Jatiya Nagorik Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam, Chief Coordinator Nasiruddin Patwari, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General Dr. AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, JAGPA Vice-President Rashed Pradhan, Labor Party Chairman Mostafizur Rahman Iran, AB Party General Secretary Barrister Fuad, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmed, among others.