Bangladesh’s ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Thursday formally nominated veteran politician Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election.

The announcement was made by BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi following a meeting of the party’s National Standing Committee.

Rizvi said the decision was finalized after consultations involving the party leadership and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

“Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has been nominated as the BNP’s candidate for the presidency,” Rizvi told reporters.

The party also confirmed that Fakhrul resigned from his positions as BNP secretary general and member of the National Standing Committee following his nomination, in line with party procedures related to the presidential race.

Fakhrul, one of Bangladesh’s most prominent opposition-turned-government political figures, has served as BNP secretary general for more than a decade and has been a key voice in the country’s political landscape.

His nomination comes ahead of the presidential election scheduled for Aug. 20, when members of parliament will vote to elect the country’s next head of state.

The BNP’s decision effectively places Fakhrul at the center of one of the most significant political contests in recent years, although the ruling party’s parliamentary majority is expected to give its candidate a strong advantage.

Party leaders said further details regarding the transition of BNP’s senior leadership would be announced in due course.