People from all walks of life brought out a joyous procession in Pabna district town at ruling party Awami League's nomination of Md Shahabuddin Chuppu, a proud son of the soil, as the 22nd president of Bangladesh.

The nomination leaves only the formality of the retired judge being declared as president on February 19th, the date set for the presidential election, with no other candidates in the fray.

District unit Awami League organised the procession in the morning from the Awami League office which ended at the same place after parading different important places.

They also distributed sweets among the local people including rickshawpullers, van pullers and shopkeepers. Rezaul Rahim Lal, President of the district unit Awami League, said: "It's a great day for Pabna residents." He also thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for providing a party ticket to Shahabuddin as the next president of the country.

In fact the stage was set for his elevation to the post almost a week earlier, when the Awami League Parliamentary Party (ALPP) authorised the party president, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to nominate the party's candidate for the presidential election.

Awami League General Secretary and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader gave this information after the meeting of the ruling Awami League's parliamentary party held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan.

Quader said that in the meeting he proposed to hand over power to the leader of the parliamentary party of Awami League, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"It was unanimously accepted. Now Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the symbol of unity, will put an end to all speculations."

According to sources, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Parliament Deputy Leader Matia Chowdhury, Chief Whip Noor-e-Alam Chowdhury and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader addressed the meeting.

Md Shahabuddin was born in Pabna in 1949 and was one of the first members of Pabna district Chhatra League, Awami League's student wing. He would eventually become the unit's president. In 1971, he was the convenor of the Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad in Pabna, and took part in the Liberation War.

He became the president of the Pabna district Jubo League in 1974.

He was imprisoned for three years following the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in August 1975. He was later appointed as the Law Ministry's coordinator in the Bangabandhu assassination case.

In 1982, he joined the BCS (Judicial) Department, and in 1995, he was elected General Secretary of the Judicial Service Association. He served as the chairman of the Judicial Inquiry Commission, which investigated murders, rapes, thefts, and other crimes by BNP-Jamaat alliance's activists and leaders following the 2001 general election.

He also worked as a District and Sessions Judge and retired in 2006. He was a commissioner at the Anti-Corruption Commission from 2011 to 2016. During this period, he headed the investigation into the alleged 'conspiracy of corruption' surrounding the Padma Bridge, that cleared all government officials of the charges laid on by the World Bank, which pulled out of the project.

During the last National Council of Bangladesh Awami League, held in 2022, he served as the election commissioner.

He earned his LLB from Rajshahi University in 1975, after completing his MSc from the same institution in a different subject.

Md Shahabuddin's wife Dr Rebecca Sultana, is a former joint secretary of the government. They have one son together. He obtained SSC from Government Edward College and used to live near Jubilee Tank in Pabna district town.

Since 2017, he has served on the board of Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, as an independent director nominated by Chittagong-based JMC Builders, after it completed buying more than 2 percent of the company's shares. He was last serving as vice-chairman of the board, and was part of its Audit Committee.

He was a member of the Awami League's advisory council, and following the death of H.T. Imam, served as chairman of the party's Publicity and Publications Sub-committee.

A warrior of Bangabandhu

In 1971, he was the convenor of the Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Sangram Parishad in Pabna, and took part in the Liberation War.

He became the president of the Pabna district Jubo League in 1974.

He was imprisoned following the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. He was later appointed as the Law Ministry's coordinator in the Bangabandhu assassination case.

In 1982, he joined the BCS (Judicial) Department, and in 1995, he was elected General Secretary of the Judicial Service Association.

He served as the chairman of the Judicial Inquiry Commission, which investigated murders, rapes, thefts, and other crimes by BNP-Jamaat alliance's activists and leaders following the 2001 general election.

He also worked as a District and Sessions Judge and retired in 2006. He was a commissioner at Anti-Corruption Commission from 2011 to 2016. In the previous National Council of Bangladesh Awami League, he served as election commissioner.

He earned his LLB from Rajshahi University in 1975, and completed his MSc from the same institution.

According to the schedule, the presidential election was to be held on February 19 as the tenure of incumbent President Abdul Hamid nears an end.

The final date for submitting nomination papers was February 12. The commission set February 14 as the final date for withdrawing nominations. But now there is no more need for the election as Shahabuddin is the only valid candidate.

Abdul Hamid was elected president unopposed for the second term on February 6, 2018 though the election was slated for February 18. President Hamid is set to complete his tenure on April 23 this year.

Dedication and service

"Everything is Allah's will," Md Shahabuddin Chuppu, who is set to be the next President of Bangladesh, said today.

"There is no reaction now. This is Almighty Allah's will," Md Shahabuddin told reporters after submitting his nomination paper at the Election Commission.

Md Shahabuddin, a retired district and sessions judge, had served as a commissioner at the Anti-Corruption Commission.

An Awami League team, led by the party's general secretary Obaidul Quader, went to the Election Commission to submit the nomination paper of its presidential candidate. The delegation members included AL Presidium members Mohammad Faruk Khan, Jahangir Kabir, and Abdur Rahman, AL Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud, Chief Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury Liton, AL Information and Research Secretary Dr. Salim Mahmud, AL office secretary Biplab Barua, AL publicity and publication secretary Abdus Sobhan Golap.

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal on Monday (February 13, 2023) declared ruling party nominee Mohammed Shahabuddin, Awami League Advisory Council member, the president-elect of Bangladesh.

The CEC declared him elected at the Election Commission Office at noon after scrutinising the nomination paper submitted on Sunday (February 12).

"As per the election schedule two nomination papers were submitted for Md Shahabuddin on Sunday and one of those was accepted as valid after scrutiny today. There was no need to accept the other nomination paper," Habibul Awal told reports.

The next day, President-elect Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met the incumbent President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.

Prime Minister's sister Sheikh Rehana, wife of president-elect Dr Rebecca Sultana accompanied them, Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told our sister newsagency UNB.

On their arrival, President Abdul Hamid and his wife Rashida Khanom welcomed them with flower bouquets. President Hamid congratulated Shahabuddin for being elected President of Bangladesh and exchanged greetings on the phone. They also enquired about each other's health. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also briefed the president about the activities of her government during the meeting.