Presidential polls on time: Anisul

Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday said the presidential election will be held in due time since the second term of Abdul Hamid expires in April next, reports UNB.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating a workshop, he also said that the government has so far no plans to amend the constitution.

“The presidential election will be held in the due course of time. Since he (Hamid) was elected the President for two terms, he can't stay any longer (in the post) as per the constitution,” the minister said.

On Apr 24, 2013, Abdul Hamid was sworn in as the 20th President of Bangladesh.

After the end of his first tenure, Hamid also took oath as the president on the same date in 2018 for the second term.

Hamid is the only President who has been serving for two consecutive terms. His second and last tenure will expire on April 24 this year. The country’s constitution allows a maximum of two terms for a person in the post of president.

There was speculation that the government may amend the constitution to allow Hamid to stay in the post for another term, but the law minister categorically said they have no such plans.

About the apex court’s bail to BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and standing committee member Mirza Abbas, he said no ministry, including the law ministry, is interfering in the work of the court.

“The court will grant bail as per its wish. The court won’t give bail if it thinks it can't be given,” he observed.

Huq also said it often happens that the apex courts are granting the BNP leaders bail when the lower court is denying it.

He also said staying the lower court’s bail by the apex court is nothing new in Bangladesh.

“Those who have raised questions about it, may not have seen the rules of Jatiya Party and BNP.”