President Abdul Hamid. — Focusbangla file photo
Election Commission on Wednesday declared ruling Awami League candidate Md Abdul Hamid elected unopposed as president of the country for the second consecutive term.
As no other candidate submitted nomination paper to contest the presidential race, the election officer and chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda made the announcement at a press conference at Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital.
The chief election commissioner said that he declared Hamid elected as the 21st president as it found no other contestant and nomination paper of Abdul was valid during scrutiny on Wednesday.
The incumbent president Hamid’s ongoing five-year tenure will expire on April 23 as he took office on April 24, 2013.
The CEC said Hamid was supposed to take oath on 23rd April.
He said that the EC issued a gazette notification in this regard.
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 EC on January 25 announced the schedule for the presidential election fixing February 18 for polling.
The deadline for the submission of nomination paper was Monday. The last date for withdrawal of the candidature is February 10.
AL on January 31 nominated Hamid as its candidate to contest the presidential election.
Hamid was the founder president of Chhatra League of the then 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.
Freedom fighter Hamid was 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 junior-most member from Mymensingh-18 constituency. In 1972, he became the member of Constituent Assembly.
In the general elections of 1973, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2009, he was elected lawmaker for Kishoreganj-5 as an Awami League nominee.
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 house on July 12, 2001 and held the post till October 28, 2001.
In the 8th parliament, he served as the deputy leader of the opposition from November 2001 to October 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 was made acting president from that day.
Source: New Age.
