The Election Commission on Wednesday declared ruling Awami League candidate Md Abdul Hamid elected unopposed as President of Bangladesh for the second consecutive term.
Finding no other candidate in the presidential race, Returning Officer of the presidential election and Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda made the announcement at a press conference at the city’s Nirbachan Bhaban. “Since there is only one candidate and the nomination paper of Abdul Hamid was found valid during scrutiny on Wednesday, I declare him elected… He’ll be the 21st President of Bangladesh,” the CEC said. The gazette over the election result will be published on Wednesday, he added.
The present five-year tenure of Abdul Hamid will expire on April 23 next as he took office on April 24, 2013.
According to article 123 of the Constitution, the Presidential election shall be held between 90 and 60 days before expiry of the five-year term. The Election Commission on January 25 announced the schedule for the presidential election fixing February 18 for balloting. The deadline for the submission of nomination paper was Monday last. The last date for withdrawal of the candidature was February 10.
Awami League on January 31 nominated Abdul Hamid as its candidate to contest the presidential election.
An Awami League delegation, led by Chief Whip ASM Feroz, collected the nomination paper for Abdul Hamid from the Election Commission on February 2, while another AL team, led by the party general secretary Obaidul Quader, submitted it on February 5.
Hamid was the founder President of Chhatra League of Kishoreganj Sub-division unit in 1964 and elected Vice-President of Chhatra League of Mymensingh district unit in 1966-67. He was imprisoned in 1968 for leading the then student movement. He joined Awami League in 1969.
Hamid, a valiant freedom fighter, was the President of Kishoreganj district Awami League from 1978 to 2009 and the President of Kishoreganj District Bar Association for five times during 1990-96.
In the Pakistan National Assembly Election of 1970, Hamid was elected the junior-most member from Mymensingh-18 constituency. In 1972, he became the Member of Constituent Assembly. As a pro-people and grassroots-level popular leader of Bangladesh Awami League, he was elected Member of Parliament for several times. In the general elections of 1973, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2009, he was elected Member of Parliament from Kishoreganj-5 as an Awami League nominee.
Md Abdul Hamid was unanimously elected Deputy Speaker in the 7th Parliament on July 13, 1996 and held the post till July 10, 2001. Later, he became Speaker of the Parliament on July 12, 2001 and remained so till October 28, 2001. In the 8th Parliament, he served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from November, 01, 2001 to October 27, 2006. Hamid was elected Speaker in the 9th Parliament and served office in this capacity from 2009 to 2013. After the death of Zillur Rahman on March 20, 2013 in Singapore, Hamid became acting President from that day. Later, he was elected President uncontested as the 22nd President of Bangladesh on April 22, 2013. He was sworn in to the office of President of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on April 24, 2013.
