Md Shahabuddin to take oath as 22nd president on Monday
President-elect Md Shahabuddin will take oath as the 22nd president of Bangladesh tomorrow, Monday. The oath-taking ceremony will be held in Historic Durbar Hall of the Bangabhaban at about 11:00 am.
Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will administer the oath of the office of the president, according to Bangabhaban.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, cabinet members and hundreds of distinguished guests will attend the event. Cabinet xecretary Md Mahbub Hossain will conduct the programme.
After the oath-taking ceremony, Md Shahabuddin will sign the oath documents of the office of the president.
New president Md Shahabuddin and outgoing president M Abdul Hamid will officially alter the seat after taking oath, president's press secretary Md Joynal Abedin said.
Family members of the new President, including his wife Rebecca Sultana and son Arshad Adnan Rony will attend the function as well.
Chief justice Hasan Foez Siddique, members of parliament, chief election commissioner, supreme court judges, political leaders, chiefs of the three services, diplomats, senior journalists, including editors, and high-ranking civil and military officials will be present at the event.
Earlier, the 73-year-old politician was elected as the 22nd President of Bangladesh on 13 February, 2023.
Md Shahabuddin was born on 10 December, 1949 in Shibrampur area of Pabna. He obtained his MSc degree from Rajshahi University in 1974 and later passed the LLB and BCS (law) examinations.
The president-elect served as the general secretary of Pabna Edward College unit of Chhatra League and president of Pabna district Chhatra League and Jubo League. He also served as the joint secretary of Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL) of the district and was also the publicity secretary of Pabna Awami League.
Shahabuddin played a proactive role during the ‘six-Point Movement’ in 1966, Bhutta (Maize) movement in 1967, mass-uprising in1979, election of 1970 and Liberation War in 1971.
He was in the frontline of the movement in Pabna and openly protested the killing of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after 15 August, 1975. Subsequently he was imprisoned for three years and subjected to inhuman torture by the then military dictators. Md Shahabuddin also worked as a newsperson at ‘Dainik Banglar Bani’.
In his administrative career, Md Shahubuddin served as a commissioner of the Anti-corruption Commission and a district and session judge. He also worked as the director of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and was the coordinator assigned to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the Bangabandhu Murder Case.
Shahabuddin was elected the secretary general of BCS (judiciary) Association twice in a row. After retiring from service, he engaged himself in legal practice the High Court.
He later served as the chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry in the investigation into the 2001 post-election violence.
As the ACC Commissioner, Md Shahabuddin proved his deep firmness in dealing with the 'so-called corruption' plot against the Padma Bridge project.
The former Chhatra League leader also served as a member of Bangladesh Awami League's advisory council and the chairman of the party's central publicity and publication sub-committee.
Md Shahabuddin will replace the 21st president M Abdul Hamid. Abdul Hamid will go on retirement after spending 10 years and 41 days as the president of the country for two consecutive terms.
Abdul Hamid took over the responsibility of the president-in-charge of the country on 14 March, 2013 as the then president Md Zillur Rahman was undergoing treatment in Singapore. After Zillur Rahman’s death, he became the acting president on 20 March, 2013.