Presidents of Bangladesh since independence
The ruling Awami League, which holds an absolute majority in the parliament, nominated Md Shahabuddin Chuppu as the next President of Bangladesh.
Let's take a look at the list of people who have been the President of Bangladesh since independence -
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Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Tenure: 17 April 1971 - 12 January 1972
Party: Bangladesh Awami League
During the Liberation War of Bangladesh, on 17 April 1971, a provisional government was formed with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was in prison in Pakistan, as president, Syed Nazrul Islam as acting president, Tajuddin Ahmad as prime minister, and General Muhammad Ataul Ghani Osmani as commander-in-chief, Bangladeshi forces.
Syed Nazrul Islam
Tenure: 17 April 1971 - 12 January 1972 (Acting)
Party: Bangladesh Awami League
Abu Sayeed Chowdhury
Tenure: 12 January 1972 - 24 December 1973
Bangladesh Awami League
Abu Sayeed Chowdhury was elected as President of Bangladesh on 12 January 1972. On 10 April 1973, he was again elected as President of Bangladesh, and in the same year (December) he resigned and become a special envoy for external relations with the rank of a minister.
Mohammad Mohammadullah
Tenure: 24 December 1973 - 27 January 1974
27 January 1974 25 January 1975
Party: Bangladesh Awami League
He became the acting President on 24 December 1973 and President on 24 January 1974.
The first indirect presidential election in Bangladesh was held on 24 January 1974. This was the first and last presidential election under a parliamentary system before the presidential system was introduced in January 1975. Mohammad Mohammadullah was elected as the president by the parliament without any voting since there were no other candidates.
In January 1975, the fourth amendment was passed which removed Mohammad Mohammadullah from office and made Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman president for a five-year term.
Mohammad Mohammadullah was made Minister of Land Administration and Land Reforms in the Cabinet of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 26 January 1975. He was appointed as the Vice President by collaborators of the Assassination of Sheikh Mujib on August 1975.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Tenure: 25 January 1975 - 15 August 1975
Party: Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League
Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
Tenure: 15 August 1975 - 6 November 1975
Party: Bangladesh Awami League
Following the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15 August, 1975, Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad took control of the government, proclaiming himself President. On 3 November 1975, in a coup d'état led by Major General Khaled Mosharraf, removed Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad from power. On 4 November 1975, Khaled was to promoted to Major General and made the Chief of Army Staff. Ziaur Rahman was retired from service and placed under house arrest in Dhaka Cantonment. Justice Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem, the then chief Justice of Bangladesh, was made president and replaced Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad
Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem
Tenure: 6 November 1975 - 21 April 1977
Party: Bangladesh Awami League
Ziaur Rahman
Tenure: 21 April 1977 - 30 May 1981
Party: Military /Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Ziaur Rahman's tenure as President of Bangladesh started with his acquisition of the presidency from Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem on 21 April, 1977, after the latter resigned from his position on health grounds.
Abdus Sattar
Tenure: 30 May 1981 - 20 November 1981 (Acting)
20 November 1981 24 March 1982
Party: Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Following the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman, Vice President Abdus Sattar became the acting President of Bangladesh, despite being in hospital at the time. Speaking to foreign reporters in Bangabhaban on 4 June, Satter announced that in line with the constitution, elections would be held within 180 days of the death of the former president, to "foil any conspiracy to disturb the democratic process in the country."
Presidential elections were held in Bangladesh on 15 November 1981. The result was a victory for the incumbent acting President Abdus Sattar of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who received 65.5% of the vote, beating his principal challenger Kamal Hossain of the Awami League.
Ahsanuddin Chowdhury
Tenure: 27 March 1982 - 10 December 1983
In 1982 a coup d'état led by then Bangladesh Army Chief Hussain Muhammad Ershad overthrew democratically elected President Abdus Sattar, suspended the Constitution and imposed martial law.
Parliament was dissolved and all political parties were banned. Ershad appointed Justice Ahsanuddin Chowdhury as President on 27 March 1982, a position which he held until December 1983 when Ershad assumed the presidency himself.
Hussain Muhammad Ershad
Tenure: 11 December 1983 - 6 December 1990
Party: Military / Jatiya Party
In 1983 Ershad promised to hold presidential elections in May 1984 and to restore parliamentary government the following year.
However, neither elections were held within the stated time. Amid increasing opposition from the general public, Ershad aimed to legitimise his regime by holding a referendum in March 1985. The result saw 94.5% vote in favour, with a turnout of 72.2%. The opposition organised a general strike on the day of the referendum, and alleged that the results were fraudulent.
Shahabuddin Ahmed
Tenure: 6 December 1990 - 10 October 1991 (Acting)
On 14 January 1990, Shahabuddin Ahmed was appointed the Chief Justice of Bangladesh. On 6 December 1990, the-then vice-president Moudud Ahmed resigned and Shahabuddin Ahmed was appointed the new vice-president. Later that day Ershad resigned and Ahmed took over as the acting President of the country.
He was chosen by all political parties including Ershad to hold the interim government that would oversee the neutral election to parliament. After the Fifth National Parliamentary Elections held on 27 February 1991, Shahabuddin Ahmed handed over the parliamentary ruling power to elected Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
He resigned from the presidency on 9 October 1991 and the next day returned to his previous post of chief justice from which he retired on 1 February 1995.
Abdur Rahman Biswas
Tenure: 1991 10 October 1991 - 9 October 1996
Party: Bangladesh Nationalist Party
The 1991 Bangladeshi presidential election was held on 8 October, 1991. It was the first indirect election after the restoration of the parliamentary system. Abdur Rahman Biswas was nominated by the ruling party BNP. He won the election unopposed as there were no other candidates to run for the election.
Shahabuddin Ahmed
Tenure: 1996 9 October 1996 - 14 November 2001
Shahabuddin Ahmed was elected after being nominated by the ruling party Awami League. He replaced Abdur Rahman Biswas when his five-year term came to an end.
AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury
Tenure: 14 November 2001 - 21 June 2002
Party: Bangladesh Nationalist Party
AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury won the election uncontestedly. Initially, two nomination papers were submitted. Later, the other contestant withdrew his nomination making him elected to the post of President.
Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar
Tenure: 21 June 2002 - 6 September 2002 (Acting)
Party: Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Iajuddin Ahmed
Tenure: 6 September 2002 - 12 February 2009 6 years,
Party: Independent
The Election Commission declared Iajuddin Ahmed as the President after nomination papers of two other candidates were found to be invalid.
Zillur Rahman
Tenure: 12 February 2009 - 20 March 2013
Party: Bangladesh Awami League
Awami League, which resoundingly won the parliamentary election, nominated AL presidium member Zillur Rahman as its candidate for president. He was the only candidate who submitted his papers by the nomination deadline of 9 February 2009, and as he did not withdraw by the withdrawal deadline of 11 February 2009, the Election Commission declared him elected.
Mohammad Abdul Hamid
Tenure: 14 March 2013 - 24 April 2013 (Acting)
24 April 2013 - 24 April 2018
24 April 2018 - Present
Zillur Rahman died on 20 March in Singapore after being flown there with an illness. The then-parliamentary speaker Abdul Hamid took over in an interim capacity.
Presidential elections were held in Bangladesh on 22 April 2013. Hamid won the election unopposed through a parliamentary vote.
Abdul Hamid was nominated for the second time as the candidate to run for election by the ruling party in 2018. He was declared president by the Election Commission as no other candidate submitted nomination papers to the commission. He was sworn in by the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Shirin Chaudhury on 24 April, 2018. With the result of the election, he became the first incumbent president to be reelected in the history of Bangladesh
