Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ Veteran politician Mohammed Shahabuddin was sworn in as the 22nd president of Bangladesh during a formal ceremony that was attended by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet members. Shahabuddin, who is 73 years old, took his oath of office at the Historic Durbar Hall of Bangabhaban, which was presided over by Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury.
The ceremony was also attended by politicians, justices from the Supreme Court, senior civil and military authorities, family members of the new president, and the prime minister. Shahabuddin succeeded Abdul Hamid, whose presidential term concluded on Sunday. Following the inauguration ceremony, the new president signed the oath documents for the office of president.
Despite being largely a ceremonial head of state, the president’s office receives extra attention, especially during general elections, because the president appoints the prime minister and serves as the country’s constitutional guardian. Bangladesh is scheduled to hold general elections in December or January of next year, despite widening disagreements between the ruling Awami League and its principal opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), regarding the electoral system.
Shahabuddin, a lower court judge, stated in an interview with the media that it was primarily the Election Commission’s responsibility to encourage voters to cast ballots and that he expected the independent constitutional body to perform its role better. He stated that, upon assuming his position, he would evaluate the political situation and determine whether or not he needed to play a role in minimizing disputes between the political parties.
Shahabuddin is a retired district judge who was born in 1949 in the Pabna district located in the far northwestern part of the country. He formerly worked as one of the commissioners on the independent Anti-Corruption Commission. Later, he entered politics and became a member of the Awami League Advisory Council, which consists of senior party leaders and technocrats, However, his election to the highest office would necessitate his resignation from the party position.
In his adolescence, Shahabuddin led the student and youth branches of the Awami League and participated in the 1971 Liberation War. Following the 1975 assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Prime Minister Hasina, he was imprisoned. However, in 1982, he was inducted into the judicial service of the nation. Shahabuddin’s wife, Rebeka Sultana, is the former government joint secretary, and the couple are parents to a son.
