Abdul Hamid

Mohammad Abdul Hamid is a retired Bangladeshi politician and lawyer who served as the president of Bangladesh from 2013 to 2023. He holds the distinction of being the longest-serving president in the history of the country. Throughout a political career that lasted more than 60 years, he remained a lifelong affiliate of the Awami League.

Early life and education

Abdul Hamid was born on 1 January 1944 in Kamalpur village, located within the Mithamain Upazila of Kishoreganj District. He began his academic journey at a local village primary school before moving to Bhairabpur to attend Bhairab K.B. Pilot High School for his secondary education. He later attended Gurudayal Government College in Kishoreganj, where he earned both an I.A. and a B.A. degree.

He pursued legal studies at Central Law College—an institution now affiliated with the University of Dhaka—to obtain his LL.B. degree. After completing his education, he joined the Kishoreganj Bar as an advocate. He eventually served as the president of the Kishoreganj District Bar Association 5 times between 1990 and 1996.

Career

His involvement in politics began in 1959 when he joined the East Pakistan Chhatra League as the vice-president of Gurudayal Government College. He later held the position of vice-president for the Mymensingh District unit of the Chhatra League from 1966 to 1967. After joining the Awami League in 1969, he was elected as the youngest member of the National Assembly during the 1970 Pakistani general election for the Mymensingh-18 constituency.

Following the independence of Bangladesh, he was elected as an MP in 1973. He faced imprisonment after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the subsequent coup on 15 August. After his release in 1978, he continued his political work and was elected to parliament in 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2008 for the Kishoreganj-5 constituency.

Hamid held several high-ranking parliamentary positions during his tenure. He served as the deputy speaker from 1996 to 2001 and acted as the deputy leader of the opposition between 2001 and 2006. He became the speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad in 2001 and again from 2009 to 2013.

His presidency began in 2013 when he served as acting president following the illness of Zillur Rahman. He was elected unopposed as president on 22 April 2013 and was subsequently re-elected unopposed in 2018. His decade-long tenure ended in 2023 after he served for a total of 10 years and 41 days.

The later years of his career involved significant political turbulence. Following the July Revolution in August 2024, he was charged in January 2025 with assaulting protesters. In May 2025, he departed for Thailand for medical treatment—a move that triggered protests from the National Citizen Party and other groups. He returned to Bangladesh on 9 June 2025 after his month-long stay abroad.

Personal life

Abdul Hamid has been married to Rashida Hamid since 1964. The couple has four children, consisting of three sons and one daughter. His son, Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq, also entered politics as an MP representing Kishoreganj-4.

Awards and recognition

He received the Independence Award in 2013. This honor was granted in recognition of his contributions to the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.