Presidential election on February 16

The voting to elect new President of the Republic for the nineteenth tenure will be held on February 16, said a notification of the Election Commission yesterday.

As per schedule, the last date of filing nomination paper to the office of Chief Election Commissioner is February 8 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM while scrutiny of the papers will be done on February 9 and the last date of withdrawing candidature is February 11.

The voting by the parliament members will take place at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on the day from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

If only one candidate files nomination paper then there will be no need for voting, the nominee will be declared as President on February 11 after the date for withdrawal expires, Chief Election Commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda Wednesday told reporters at his office, adding, “No contest appears to take place in the election as a person for the post has already been selected earlier”.

The qualification to contest for the post of President is similar to that of parliament members to contest in national election.

It may be mentioned that the incumbent President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed had taken oath as President of the Republic of Bangladesh on September 6 in 2002.

Source: The New Nation