AL nominates Mohammad Shahabuddin as presidential candidate

Ruling Awami League has nominated Mohammad Shahabuddin, former commissioner of Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), as its candidate for the post of President of Bangladesh.

Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the ruling party, made the disclosure around 11:00 am on Sunday after submitting Shahabuddin's nomination paper to the election commission (EC).

Earlier, an eight-member AL delegation, led by Quader, entered the election commission building to submit the nomination paper.

Apart from Quader, information minister Hasan Mahmud, chief whip Liton Chowdhury, AL presidium members Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Faruk Khan, office secretary Biplob Barua, and information and research secretary Selim Mahmud were in the delegation.

They reached the commission building at around 10:45 am and waited there until the arrival of Mohammad Shahabuddin around 11:00 am.

According to the presidential election act, any parliament member can submit the nomination paper with the proposal for a qualified candidate. He or she will sign as proposer and another parliamentarian will sign as its supporter. Also, there should be a signed statement from the nominated person with his or her consent in this regard.  

The parliamentarians vote in the presidential election. As Awami League maintains an absolute majority in the current parliament, it is quite certain that its candidate is going to be the next president of the country. 

Mohammad Shahabuddin was born in Pabna in 1949. He was a vibrant activist of Chhatra League and served as Pabna district unit president. He took part in the liberation war in 1971. Later, he joined the civil service (judiciary) in 1982. 

Shahabuddin retired as district and sessions judge in 2006, after serving in various positions for 25 years. 

He served the ACC as commissioner from 2011 to 2016.