The 23rd president of Bangladesh will be administered the oath of office by Kayser Kamal, acting Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad.
Since Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is currently serving as acting president, the Ministry of Law has opined that the acting speaker is the competent authority to administer the oath to the new president.
The ministry gave the opinion in response to a query from the Cabinet Division regarding the constitutional procedure for the swearing‑in ceremony.
Following the resignation of former president Mohammed Shahabuddin, Speaker Hafiz Uddin assumed the presidency for the interim period. Consequently, Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal took charge as acting speaker.
In its formal opinion, the Ministry of Law said Speaker Hafiz Uddin is performing the duties of the president under Article 54 of the Constitution, while the deputy speaker is exercising all powers of the speaker under Article 74(3).
Therefore, in the current circumstances, the deputy speaker is constitutionally authorised to administer the oath of office to the newly elected president.
The constitutional clarification comes ahead of the presidential election, with voting scheduled to begin in the Jatiya Sangsad around 2pm. The voting will continue until 5pm.
The election will see a contest between BNP‑nominated candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Oli Ahmed of the 11‑party alliance led by Jamaat‑e‑Islami.
As BNP commands more than a two‑thirds majority in the Jatiya Sangsad, its nominee Mirza Fakhrul is widely expected to be elected as the next president.
