India, Aug. 20 -- Bangladesh on Thursday elected veteran Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its 23rd president, with the longtime party secretary general defeating his lone challenger in the country's first contested presidential election in 35 years.

Alamgir, 78, secured 255 votes against 88 won by Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, 84, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party and candidate of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance, Chief Election Commissioner and Returning Officer AMM Nasir Uddin announced after counting.

Of the 349 registered lawmakers, 343 cast their votes while six did not participate in the election.

Alamgir is scheduled to take oath as president on Friday, August 21, ev...