The schedule for the 22nd presidential election will be announced on Wednesday, and later the same day, a commission meeting will be held to decide on more details, said Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal.
He was speaking to the media on Tuesday after a meeting with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the capital’s Agargaon.
On Monday, Election Commissioner Anisur Rahman said the CEC on January 22 sought an appointment from the speaker for the meeting. The Election Commission Secretariat also contacted the Parliament Secretariat on the same day.
There will be no need to summon a parliament session for the election as per the law. Rather, a meeting will be called by the CEC for electing the president by members of parliament. The CEC will preside over that meeting.
If there is only one candidate, such a meeting is not required. The Election Commission will declare a single candidate as the winner as per law. According to regulations, elections should be held within 90 days of the end of the term of a president.
On April 24, 2013, Md Abdul Hamid was sworn in as the 20th president of Bangladesh. He is the only president who has been serving for two consecutive terms. His second and last tenure will expire on April 24 this year.
Abdul Hamid cannot be elected president for another term as the country’s constitution allows a maximum of two terms for a person in the post of president.
