By Xinhua,
Dhaka : The newly elected members of parliament will elect Bangladesh’s new president Feb 16, the election commission of the country announced Thursday.
Md. Humayun Kabir, Secretary of the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC), issued a notification Thursday, announcing the schedule of the presidential election, BEC spokesman S.M. Asaduzzaman said.
As per the schedule, Feb 8 is the last date for filing nomination and Feb 11 is the last date of withdrawal of nomination, the official said.
Bangladesh has a parliamentary system of government headed by prime minister while the president is the head of state, a largely ceremonial post elected by the parliament.
In line with Bangladesh’s constitution, the new president has to be elected within 30 days of a new parliament convening. The first session of Bangladesh’s ninth parliament began Jan 25. The country’s parliamentary elections were held Dec 29, 2008.
Bangladesh’s ruling party Awami League, which holds 230 seats in the 300-member parliament, has already nominated the party’s senior leader Zillur Rahman as presidential candidate.