Md Shahabuddin Chuppu, a retired judge and former commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has been elected unopposed as the 22nd President of Bangladesh. 

He was nominated by the ruling Awami League on Sunday (12 February). Md Shahabuddin was the lone nominated candidate for the post.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal made an announcement in this regard at the Election Commission Bhaban in Dhaka on Monday (13 February).

He said that Awami League nominee Md Shahabuddin became president-elect by default as no one else submitted any nominations as per Section 7 of the Presidential Election Act, 1991 (Act No. 27 of 1991).

"A gazette notification regarding this will be issued today," the CEC added.

Md Shahabuddin will be replacing Abdul Hamid, who was elected president, also unopposed, for the second term on 6 February 2018. President Hamid is set to complete his tenure on 23 April this year. 

According to Article 123 of the constitution, the presidential election must be held 60 to 90 days before the expiry of each five-year term. As per the constitution, Abdul Hamid cannot become president again as he was elected for two terms.

Md Shahabuddin was born in 1949 in Pabna and is a lawyer by profession. He is a member of the party's advisory council. He previously served as a district and sessions judge and ACC commissioner.

He was the convenor of Pabna district's Swadhin Bangla Chhatra Shongram Parishad in 1971. He is also a freedom fighter.

He joined the BCS as a judicial cadre in 1982 and was elected as the general secretary of the Judicial Service Association in 1995.

Md Shahabuddin also served as the coordinator appointed by the law ministry in the case filed over the assassination of Bangabandhu.

He served as the chairman of the Judicial Inquiry Commission set up after the 2001 general polls to investigate the murders, rapes and looting and inhumane activities committed by the leaders of the BNP-Jamaat alliance.

Md Shahabuddin served as the president of Pabna District Chhatra League during his student life and was the president of Pabna District Jubo League back in 1974. 

He was imprisoned following the brutal assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Majibur Rahman in 1975. He also was the election commissioner in the last National Council of Bangladesh Awami League.

Md Shahabuddin is married to Professor Dr Rebecca Sultana, a former government official and the two have one son.