As the Awami League has an absolute majority in parliament, Shahabuddin is poised to become the 22nd president of Bangladesh, succeeding Abdul Hamid
Published : 12 Feb 2023, 11:31 AM
After submitting his application as the Awami League candidate for Bangladesh’s next president, Mohammed Shahabuddin, nicknamed Chuppu, has remained mostly reticent about his future job but only said whatever is happening is by the will of Allah.
Shahabuddin, a freedom fighter and member of the Awami League’s advisory council, accompanied a ruling party delegation led by General Secretary Obaidul Quader to the Election Commission headquarters on Sunday, where he delivered his application.
Quader had proposed Shahabuddin for the position of head of state and his nomination was seconded by Awami League Joint General Secretary Hasan Mahmud, according to Office Secretary Biplob Barua.
Following the submission of the application, Quader spoke to the media and said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the party’s president and the head of government, nominated Shahabuddin.
Despite repeated requests for comment from the presidential nominee, Shahabuddin only said: “Everything is by the will of Allah.”
As the Awami League has an absolute majority in parliament, Shahabuddin is poised to become the 22nd president of Bangladesh, succeeding Md Abdul Hamid, the head of state since April 2013.
Nomination papers can be submitted until 4 pm on Sunday. The applications will be scrutinised on Feb 13 and applicants can withdraw until 4 pm on Feb 14.
If no other candidates come forward, Shahabuddin will be declared the president unopposed after verification.
If another candidate files an application, a vote will be held in parliament between 2 pm and 5 pm on Feb 19.
In Bangladesh’s parliamentary democracy, the president is elected by an indirect vote by members of parliament, meaning that citizens do not vote directly for their choice of president.
The Awami League currently occupies 305 of the 350 seats in parliament. As a result, Shahabuddin is certain to be Hamid’s successor to the position.