Abdul Hamid elected President uncontested

Abdul Hamid was elected uncontested as the 20th President of Bangladesh on Monday, Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad announced.

Abdul Hamid turned out to be the only one to have filed his nomination that was earmarked for scrutiny on Monday.

The seven-time Jatiya Sangsad MP has been Speaker twice. He is a long time aide to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He has been the Acting President of the country since Zillur Rahman died in a Singapore hospital on Mar 20.

The Election Commission Secretariat has issued an order declaring Abdul Hamid as the new President. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) said that Hamid’s constituency, Kishoreganj-4, and the post of Speaker of the House would fall vacant the moment he swears in as the President.

The Parliament Secretariat and the Cabinet Division will take necessary steps after publishing a gazette notification.

Oath-taking ceremony will take place at Bangabhaban.

The President's term is for five years.

The leaders of Awami League headed by senior party member Tofail Ahmed submitted Hamid's nomination papers on Sunday.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed has said they will formally declare the lone candidate Hamid as the President after screening the nomination papers.

The Election Commission said, since independence, Bangladesh has had 19 Presidents.

A meeting of the ruling party’s Parliamentary Party nominated the Speaker as its presidential contender on Sunday. His victory was inevitable even if the Opposition chose to contest, because the ruling alliance enjoys a decisive two-third majority.

Syed Ashraful Islam and Advisory Council member Tofail Ahmed proposed and supported the nomination respectively.

A total of three forms were signed by Hamid and submitted in case any was rejected on technical grounds.

After submitting the nomination papers, Tofail told reporters, “Abdul Hamid is competent and acceptable to all. And he never compromised in matters of ethics. He is a dedicated politician.”

BNP leader Khandker Mosharraf Hossain said his party will react on Hamid's nomination later after discussing the issue within the party.

After the death of Zillur Rahman, the BNP had asked for nomination of someone as President who was ‘acceptable’ to everyone.

The BNP has blamed the Speaker of 'bias' during his running the Parliament, a charge Hamid denies.

The CEC said Hamid would be declared President as per Section 7 of the Presidential Election Act 1991.

Hamid was born in Kamalpur, Mithamoin Upazila on 1944, to parents Hazi Mohammaf Teyebuddin and Tamiza Khatun.

He passed IA and BA from Gurudayal College of Kishoreganj and LLB from Central Law College under Dhaka University.

He was President of the Kishoreganj District Bar Association five times during the period 1990 to 1996.

Hamid began his political journey on 1959 after he joined the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student front of Awami League. He was actively involved in the Anti-Ayub movement in 1961 and was eventually imprisoned by the Pakistan government.

In 1963 he was elected the general secretary and in 1965 the Vice- President of the Students’ Union in Gurudayal College of Kishoreganj.

Hamid was the founder president of Chhatra League’s Kishoreganj sub-divisional unit in 1964 and also got elected as the vice president of Chhatra League in Mymensingh district in 1966-1967.

He joined the Awami League in 1969.

In 1970 Abdul Hamid was elected as the junior most member of the National Assembly, from Mymensingh-18 constituency.

He joined Bangladesh’s War of Independence in the following year.

He was awarded the Swadhinata Padak this year for his contributions during the Liberation War.

He was elected from Kishoreganj-5 constituency as a Member of Parliament in the national elections of 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2009.

Hamid was unanimously elected Deputy Speaker in the seventh Parliament on Jul 13, 1996. He later went on to become the Speaker in 2001, Jul 12.

After the 2008 national elections, he was unanimously elected Speaker for the second term.