Thakurgaon is waiting with anticipation as the presidential election approaches. Residents are hopeful that one of their own—Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP nominee and frontrunner backed by the party's parliamentary majority—will become the country's next president.

Born on January 26, 1948, Fakhrul spent his childhood and adolescence in Thakurgaon town. He completed his Secondary School Certificate examination at the then Thakurgaon High School, now Thakurgaon Government Boys' High School, in 1963, and his higher secondary education at Dhaka College in 1965. He later obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Dhaka.

He also taught at Thakurgaon Government College and served as chairman of Thakurgaon Municipality before rising through the ranks of national politics.

Now, decades later, his nomination for the country's highest constitutional office has become the talk of the district.

At a tea stall in the Thakurgaon Judge Court compound this morning, Nazrul Islam, a rickshaw puller from Nishchintapur, expressed what many in the district appeared to feel.

“It is a matter of pride that our Sir has been nominated for president,” he said.

For Sujan Islam, who runs a grocery shop at Kalibari Bazar, the prospect brings both pride and a sense of loss.

“It is a great honour for us to see Sir become president,” he said.

“But we may not be able to meet him as easily as we did before because of the security measures surrounding the president.”

That mixture of pride and anticipated distance was echoed by Professor Monotosh Kumar Dey, an educationist in Thakurgaon and Fakhrul's childhood friend.

“It is a matter of pride not only for me but for the people of the country that my friend may adorn the office of president,” he said.

“However, it saddens me to think that we, the people of Thakurgaon, will be deprived of his proximity.”

He also expressed concern that development activities initiated in the area under Fakhrul's leadership could lose momentum if he assumed the presidency.

Shariful Islam Sharif, president of the Thakurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the district was proud to see “our Alamgir Sir” nominated for the country's highest constitutional office.

Poygam Ali, general secretary of Thakurgaon district BNP, said Fakhrul had played a significant role in national politics for decades.

“Sir has received the party's nomination for the presidency, and we hope he will be elected within the next few hours,” he said.

For now, Thakurgaon waits.

Whether or not the presidential vote takes him to the country's highest constitutional office, in the streets, markets and tea stalls of the town where he grew up, taught and began his public life, he remains the man many still call "Sir".