Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Bio, Age, Wife & Family | 23rd President of Bangladesh

Full name: Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir
Born: January 26, 1948, Thakurgaon, East Bengal (now Bangladesh)
Education: University of Dhaka (Master’s in Economics)
Occupation: Politician
Height: 5 feet 6 inches (1.70 m)
Political party: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
Current position: 23rd President of Bangladesh (since August 21, 2026)
Spouse: Rahat Ara Begum
Children: Two daughters
Religion: Islam
Zodiac sign: Aquarius

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is a Bangladeshi politician who is the 23rd and current President of Bangladesh. He was elected by parliament on August 20, 2026, defeating retired army colonel Oli Ahmed, and assumed office on August 21, 2026. Earlier, he served for 16 years as the secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — the longest tenure in the party’s history — and held several ministerial posts, including minister of agriculture and minister of civil aviation and tourism.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Early Life

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was born on January 26, 1948, in Thakurgaon, Bangladesh. His father, Mirza Ruhul Amin, was a renowned lawyer and politician who served as a member of parliament. His mother, Mirza Fatima Amin, was a homemaker. Mirza completed his SSC from Thakurgaon Government Boys’ High School and his HSC from Dhaka College before earning a master’s degree in economics from the University of Dhaka.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Career

After completing his education, Mirza Fakhrul began his career as a teacher of economics at Dhaka College. He later served as a secretary of Deputy Prime Minister S.A. Bari and worked under the administration of President Ziaur Rahman, before serving as an auditor with the government’s Directorate of Inspection and Audit before entering active politics.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Political Career

Mirza Fakhrul was active in student politics at Dhaka University as a member of the East Pakistan Students Union (EPSU), now the Bangladesh Students Union. At the height of the 1969 mass uprising against Pakistan’s military rulers, he was elected president of the union’s Dhaka University unit.

He joined the BNP in the early 1990s during the movement against the military rule of Hussain Muhammad Ershad and became president of the party’s Thakurgaon district unit in 1992. He was elected a member of parliament from the Thakurgaon-1 constituency in 1996, in 2001, and again in 2026. Under the BNP government of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, he served as state minister of agriculture (2001–2005) and state minister of civil aviation and tourism (2005–2006). In February 2026, after the BNP returned to power under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, he was appointed the full minister for local government, rural development and co-operatives.

BNP Secretary General

Following the death of BNP secretary general Khandaker Delwar Hossain, party chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia named Mirza Fakhrul the acting secretary general in 2011, and he later became the party’s secretary general — a position he held until August 13, 2026, when he resigned to become the BNP’s presidential candidate. He was among the party’s most prominent voices during the years of opposition, repeatedly criticizing the Awami League government on issues such as the Pilkhana massacre.

President of Bangladesh (2026–present)

After BNP won the February 12, 2026 general election, parliament elected Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as the 23rd president of the country on August 20, 2026. He defeated Oli Ahmed of the 11-party opposition alliance by a 255–88 vote. He succeeded Mohammed Shahabuddin, who resigned in July 2026 citing health problems. The presidency is largely ceremonial, but the president serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Attacks on Mirza Fakhrul Islam

On August 2, 2011, Mirza Fakhrul’s motorcade was attacked by an armed mob in Lakshmipur while he was on his way to attend a party event. He was unhurt, but several vehicles were vandalized and several people injured; he claimed the attackers were members of the ruling Awami League.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Personal Life

Mirza Fakhrul is married to Rahat Ara Begum, who studied at the University of Calcutta and works in an insurance company in Dhaka. The couple has two daughters: Dr. Shamaruh Mirza, a medical scientist in Australia who was recognized as Australian of the Year in 2022 and co-founded SiTara’s Story, and Mirza Safaruh, a school teacher in Dhaka.