Former Bangladesh speakers who later became presidents

As Bangladesh looks ahead to electing a new president following Mohammed Shahabuddin's resignation yesterday (24 July), Speaker of Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has assumed the role of acting president in accordance with the Constitution.

Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman today (25 July) said parliament will elect the next president during its regular session in September.

While the identity of the country's next head of state remains unknown, we take a look at the history of parliament speakers who previously were elected as the president.

Mohammad Mohammadullah

Mohammad Mohammadullah served as Speaker of the Constituent Assembly from 12 October 1972 to 27 January 1974.

He was elected president on 24 December 1973 while serving as the speaker, following the resignation of Abu Sayeed Chowdhury. Mohammadullah remained in office until 25 January 1975.

Abdur Rahman Biswas

Abdur Rahman Biswas served as the speaker of the fifth Jatiya Sangsad from 5 April 1991 to 10 October 1991.

He was elected president after Bangladesh restored the parliamentary system in 1991. He served as the country's head of state from 9 October 1991 to 8 October 1996.

Abdul Hamid

Abdul Hamid first served as the speaker of the seventh Jatiya Sangsad from 12 July 2001 to 28 October 2001. He later returned as the speaker of the ninth parliament, serving from 25 January 2009 to 24 April 2013.

Following the death of President Zillur Rahman in March 2013, Hamid served as acting president before being elected president on 24 April 2013.

He remained in office until 24 April 2023 after serving two consecutive terms, making him Bangladesh's longest-serving president.

If elected, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad would become the fourth person in Bangladesh's history to have served as both speaker and president.