President election by June 19

Bangladesh is expected to elect its 20th President within June 19 as per constitutional bindings after the demise of President Mohammad Zillur Rahman on Wednesday.

The 84-year-old President breathed his last at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore where he had been undergoing treatment for the past 11 days.

Parliament’s Speaker Abdul Hamid had been discharging the duties of the President after Rahman was air-lifted to the city state on Mar 10. He will be the Acting President until a new President is elected, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told bdnews24.com on Wednesday.

Election Commissioner Abdul Mobarak told bdnews24.com the Constitution stipulates announcement of a schedule to elect a President within 90 days of vacancy.

He said the Election Commission will hold a general election of the Members of Parliament to this end in line with the Constitution.

The President is not elected by direct balloting, MPs elect him.

Clause 2 of Section 123 of the Constitution says, “In the case of a vacancy in the office of President occurring by reason of the death, resignation or removal of the President, an election to fill the vacancy shall be held within the period of ninety days after the occurrence of the vacancy.”

Speaker Hamid had been discharging the President’s duties in the absence of Rahman as per Article 54 of the Constitution since Mar 14.

The article says, “If a vacancy occurs in the office of President or if the President is unable to discharge the functions of his office on account of absence, illness or any other cause the Speaker shall discharge those functions until a President is elected or until the President resumes the functions of his office, as the case may be.”

“A new gazette notification will have to be published now since Speaker Abdul Hamid will be working as the Acting President until a new President is elected,” Cabinet Secretary Bhuiyan said.

Rahman was the 19th President of Bangladesh and the 16th person to hold the post. He was elected uncontested on Feb 11, 2009 and took office the following day.

Before him, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Ziaur Rahman had died while in office.

Presidents of Bangladesh

Here is a list of Presidents of Bangladesh.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- April 17, 1971 to Jan 11, 1972

Syed Nazrul Islam (Acting) – April 17, 1971 to Jan 9, 1972

Abu Sayeed Chowdhury – Jan 12, 1972 to Dec 23, 1973

Mohammad Mohammadullah – Dec 24, 1973 to Jan 25, 1975

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – Jan 25, 1975 to Aug 14, 1975

Khandker Mustaque Ahmad – Aug 15, 1975 to Nov 6, 1975

Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem – Nov 7, 1975 to Apr 20, 1976

Ziaur Rahman – Apr 21, 1976 to May 29, 1981

Abdus Sattar (Acting) – May 30, 1981 to Nov 19, 1981

Abdus Sattar – Nov 20, 1981 to Mar 23, 1982

AFM Ahsanuddin Choudhury – Mar 27, 1982 to Dec 10, 1983

Hussein Muhammad Ershad – Dec 11, 1983 to Dec 6, 1990

Shahabuddin Ahmed (Acting) -- Dec 6, 1990 to Oct 9, 1991

Abdur Rahman Biswas -- Oct 9, 1991 to Oct 9, 1996

Shahabuddin Ahmed -- Oct 9, 1996 to Nov 14, 2001

AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury – Nov 14, 2001 to June 21, 2002

Md Jamiruddin Sircar (Acting) – June 21, 2002 to Sep 5, 2002

Iajuddin Ahmed – Sep 6, 2002 to Feb 12, 2009

Md Zillur Rahman – Feb 12, 2009 to Mar 20 2013

Speaker acting as President

Zillur Rahman dies