A nomination paper, on behalf of Awami League aspirant and incumbent President Abdul Hamid, for presidential election was submitted to the Election Commission on Monday noon.
AL delegation, led by the party’s General Secretary Obaidul Quader, submitted the nomination paper to returning officer and Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda at latter’s office. The deadline for submission of nomination paper for presidential election will expire at 4pm on Monday.
Earlier on Friday, AL team, led by chief whip AS Feroz, collected the nomination paper from the returning officer’s office of the Election Commission at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. If Election Commission will not receive any other nomination paper, the lone candidate will be declared elected unopposed.
Awami League on January 31 nominated M Abdul Hamid as its candidate to contest the presidential election.
The nomination was finalised at a meeting of the Awami League Parliamentary Board held at the Prime Minister’s official residence Ganabhaban with Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
M Abdul Hamid was born on January 1, 1944 at Kamalpur in Mithamoin upazila of Kishoreganj district.
Hamid was the founder President of Chhatra League of Kishoregonj Sub-Division unit in 1964 and also 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 5 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 in 2001 and remained so till October 28, 2001. In the 8th Parliament he served as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from November 1, 2001 to October 27, 2006. Hamid was elected the Speaker in the 9th Parliament and served office in this capacity during the period 2009-2013.
