Staff Reporter
Veteran politician and Awami League Presidium Member Mohammad Zillur Rahman was sworn in as the 19th President of Bangladesh at a simple ceremony at Bangabhaban, the presidential palace, yesterday evening.
Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin admistered the oath of office to him at the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban at 7:05pm.
Immediately after taking oath, Zillur Rahman, who was a close companion of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, shook hands with his predecessor Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed and the Chief Justice amid huge applause from the audiences.
Swearing-in over, the new President Zillur Rahman signed the oath of office and oath of secrecy while the guests witnessing the ceremony gave him a standing ovation. Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz conducted the ceremony.
Wife of the outgoing president Professor Anwara Begum and family members of the new president attended the function.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, members of the Prime Minister’s family, cabinet members, MPs, Speaker Abdul Hamid Advocate, former President HM Ershad, immediate- past caretaker government’s Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed, judges of the Supreme Court, leaders of different political parties, including BNP, Jatiya Party, Jamaat, CPB, the elite of the city, diplomats, senior journalists and high civil and military officials were present.
The president-elect entered Bangabhaban minutes ahead of the scheduled time for the ceremony to be received by his predecessor and after the ceremony he again shook hand with his predecessor.
The oath-taking ceremony was broadcast live by Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels and radio stations. The President is a titular head of the state in accordance with the Bangladesh Constitution. He acts on advice of the Prime Minister in the parliamentary system of government.
The veteran politician played a significant role in the historic Language Movement in 1952 and the country’s liberation war in 1971.
A lawyer by profession, Rahman was elected MP in the ninth parliamentary elections, and past elections of 1973, 1986, 1996 and 2001, from his Kishoreganj (Kuliarchar-Bhairab) constituency after the country’s independence in 1971. He also won the then provincial assembly of erstwhile East Pakistan in 1970 election.
He was the General Secretary of Bangladesh Awami League for 1972-74 period and was made Secretary-1 of Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League in 1975.
The AL leader was imprisoned for four years after the assassination of country’s founding leader and first President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. He was again thrown behind bars in 1986 as a sitting MP during the anti-autocracy movement for restoration of democracy.
Zillur’s wife, Mrs Ivy Rahman, women affairs secretary of Awami League, was killed in grenade attacks on Awami League public meeting in Dhaka on August 17, 2004.
In his reaction, opposition Chief Whip Joynal Abedin Faruk termed Zillur Rahman as an experienced politician saying that he (the new President) would do a good job of upholding democracy if he puts his experience to use.
“If he works neutrally, BNP will extend all cooperation,” he said.
Meanwhile, an Awami League parliamentary party meeting earlier on the day picked AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury as the new deputy leader of the House, replacing Zillur who had resigned the post at an Awami League Parliamentary Party meeting.
It may be mentioned Chief Election Commissioner Dr ATM Shamsul Huda on Wednesday declared Zillur Rahman elected as the new president of the country unopposed as there was no other nominee for the presidency. Zillur Rahman, 80, was the lone candidate for the post as the nominee of the ruling Awami League.
The veteran AL leader was born on March 9 in 1929 at Bhairab in Kishoreganj.
Zillur did his masters in history from Dhaka University and also his law degree from the same university.
He joined politics in his student life.
Courtesy: nation.ittefaq.com
