President Abdul Hamid may get a second term in office, sources in the Awami League (AL) have said. President Hamid assumed office on April 24, 2013. So, his five-year term will expire on April 23. According to the Constitution, the election has to be held within 60 to 90 days before the end of the incumbent President’s tenure. This period starts today.

The current Parliament session started on January 7 and will continue until February 28. Ruling party sources said that if the presidential election is held in this session, the process will just be a formality, as AL has an overwhelming majority in Parliament. According to Article 70 of the Constitution, MPs cannot vote against a party nominee. The Jatiya Party, which is both in the government and the opposition in Parliament, does not have enough strength to fight an election battle. The President is elected by Parliament from among the candidates nominated by the different political parties.

However, with about three months to go for Hamid’s term to end, the AL is abuzz with speculation about the next possible President. Several names have been heard in the political arena, especially in recent conversations among AL leaders.

Among the names are those of incumbent President Hamid, former AL general secretary and public administration minister Syed Ashraful Islam, incumbent Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, local government, rural development and cooperatives (LGRD) minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, and the Prime Minister’s international affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi.

AL sources said Syed Ashraful has a big chance of becoming the next President if he wishes to contest the polls, which may be held on February 19. AL advisory council member and former law minister Shafiq Ahmed said: “As far as I know, incumbent President Abdul Hamid is set to be the 21st President of Bangladesh. However, former AL general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam is also in contention.”

Syed Ashraf was dislodged from the party’s general secretary’s position in the AL’s 20th national council session. At that time, rumours had been rife in the party that Ashraf had been removed because he would be made the next President.

An AL presidium member told The Independent on the condition of anonymity that the AL-led government was quite satisfied with the incumbent President’s activities and his clean image in the eyes of the public. He claimed that besides Hamid and Syed Ashraf, an AL presidium member was also a favourite among party members. Law minister Anisul Huq said in Parliament on Monday that the presidential election would be held on February 19. “I have come to know from the Election Commission (EC) that it has issued a circular saying that the presidential election will be held on February 19,” he added.

However, the EC has remained silent about the election. EC sources, however, said the matter was expected to be discussed at the January 25 meeting.