Shahabuddin sworn in as the 22nd president

Veteran freedom fighter and politician Mohammed Shahabuddin was sworn in as the 22nd President of Bangladesh in an impressive ceremony at the Bangabhaban yesterday.

Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury administered the oath at 11:00am.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's younger daughter Sheikh Rehana, cabinet members, and several hundred distinguished guests attended the state ceremony.

Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain conducted the programme.

Earlier, wearing a black Mujib coat and a white panjabi, new President Shahabuddin, along with outgoing president Abdul Hamid and the Speaker entered the ceremony hall at 10:55am.

A military band played ceremonial music at that time.

After the swearing-in ceremony, new President Mohammed Shahabuddin and outgoing president M Abdul Hamid officially switched their seats as part of the ceremony of changing the charge of the office.

Subsequently, President Shahabuddin and Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury signed the oath documents of the office.

The president exchanged greetings with guests after he was sworn in.

President Sahabuddin's family members, including his wife Rebecca Sultana and son Arshad Adnan Rony, while outgoing President Hamid's family members, including his wife Rashida Khanam and son Engineer Rezwan Ahammad Taufiq, MP, among others, attended the function.

Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Shamsul Haque Tuku, deputy leader of the opposition in parliament GM Quader, whips, members of parliament (MPs), heads of the diplomatic missions, chiefs of different international agencies, state ministers, chief election commissioner, supreme court judges, heads of the different tribunal or commission or institute, political leaders, chiefs of the three services, principal secretary to the prime minister's office, inspector general of police, diplomats, senior journalists, including editors, and high-ranking civil and military officials witnessed the ceremony.

Earlier, the 73-year-old politician was elected as the 22nd president of Bangladesh on February 13, 2023.

Sahabuddin was born on December 10, 1949, in Shibrampur's Jubilee Tank area of Pabna town.

He obtained his MSc degree from Rajshahi University in 1974, and he later passed the LLB and BCS (law) examinations.

Sahabuddin was the general secretary of the Pabna Edward College unit of the Chhatra League and president of the Pabna District Chhatra League and Jubo League. He was the joint secretary of the Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL) of the district unit and publicity secretary of the Awami League district unit.

Sahabuddin actively participated in the Six-Point Movement in 1966, the Bhutta (Maize) Movement in 1967, the mass uprising in 1969, the election of 1970 and the Liberation War in 1971.

He was the frontline organiser of the Pabna district movement and raised protests soon after the brutal incidents on August 15, 1975. Subsequently, he was imprisoned for three years and subjected to inhuman torture by the then-military dictators.

The president was also involved in journalism (Dainik Banglar Bani) and a good number of his articles were also published in different vernaculars.

During his career, he served as a district and sessions judge and the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) commissioner.

The head of state also served as the director of the Prime Minister's Office and the coordinator assigned to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs in the Bangabandhu Murder Case.

He was elected secretary general of BCS (judiciary) association twice in a row. After retirement from service, he was engaged in the legal profession at the High Court.

Sahabuddin later served as the chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry in the investigation into the 2001 post-election violence.

As the ACC commissioner, he proved his deep firmness in dealing with the so-called corruption plot against the Padma Bridge project.

The former student leader, Mohammed Sahabuddin, also served as a member of the Bangladesh Awami League's Advisory Council and the chairman of the party's Central Publicity and Publication Sub-Committee.