BNP leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Oli Ahmed are set to contest the 23rd presidential election, scheduled for August 20, after nomination submission for the poll closed today, said Election Commission (EC) Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed.

The secretary shared the information with reporters this afternoon, around 4:00pm, at the EC headquarters in Agargaon, Dhaka, following the conclusion of the six-hour-long nomination submission process.

He said a total of three nomination papers were submitted to Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, the returning officer for the presidential election.

Of the three papers, two were submitted on behalf of Oli Ahmed and one for Mirza Fakhrul, said Akhtar Ahmed, adding that scrutiny of the papers would begin at 10:00am on August 16 and continue until completion.

"One official from the Parliament Secretariat will come to the commission to verify the signatures of the presidential candidates. We will declare the valid candidates following the verification on August 16," Akhtar said.

Asked which of Oli's two nomination papers would be scrutinised, the secretary replied, "If we find the first one valid, there will be no need to verify the second."