Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was sworn in as Bangladesh’s 23rd President on Friday, taking charge as the country’s head of state after defeating his lone rival in the first contested presidential election in 35 years.The 78-year-old veteran politician and longtime secretary general of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took the oath at Bangabhaban, the official office-cum-residence of the President, where Jatiya Sangsad Acting Speaker Kayser Kamal administered the oath at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Opposition Leader Shafiqur Rahman, former Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Cabinet ministers, senior military officials and other dignitaries.Alamgir’s swearing-in came a day after he secured 255 votes against 88 for Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, the candidate of the Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance. His victory marked the first contested presidential election in Bangladesh since 1991, ending decades in which the largely ceremonial post was filled through consensus or uncontested elections.Ahead of the ceremony, Alamgir visited the graves of BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, where he offered prayers. He has been a close political ally of Khaleda Zia, the former BNP chief.Alamgir’s elevation to the presidency comes after a long career in Bangladesh politics, during which he served as the BNP’s secretary general and emerged as one of the party’s most prominent leaders.His election was closely watched as a departure from the recent pattern of uncontested presidential selections in Bangladesh. The contest against Oli Ahmed gave voters a direct choice between candidates backed by the ruling BNP and the Jamaat-led opposition alliance.With his swearing-in, Alamgir now formally assumes the country’s highest constitutional office, succeeding as Bangladesh’s 23rd President.