List of presidents of Bangladesh

This article lists the presidents of Bangladesh, and includes persons sworn into the office of President of Bangladesh following the Proclamation of Independence and the establishment of the Provisional Government in 1971.

• Top left: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh. He was the president from 17 April 1971 to 12 January 1972 and from 25 January 1975 to 15 August 1975.
• Top right: Ziaur Rahman, the first president elected directly by the people of Bangladesh. He was the president from 21 April 1977 to 30 May 1981.
• Bottom left: Hussain Muhammad Ershad, the last president of Bangladesh directly elected by the people. He was the president from 11 December 1983 to 6 December 1990, a regime known as a dictatorship.
• Bottom right: Mohammad Abdul Hamid, the longest serving president of Bangladesh. He was the president from 14 March 2013 to 24 April 2023.

Numbering

After Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh, there is no single numbering system for the subsequent presidents that is universally accepted and followed, even by government representatives. Different sources may calculate the numbering in different ways, depending whether they count acting presidents, how multiple terms are treated, whether the count is by number of terms or number of individuals, and other factors. For example, A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury, although he served only a single term, has been described in a government publication and in the press as the 16th President of Bangladesh,^[1][2] as well as the 15th,^[3] the 13th^[4] and the 11th.^[5]

A list published in 2018 by Bdnews24.com appears to coincide with statements made by the country's Election Committee, making Mohammad Abdul Hamid the 20th President when first elected in 2013,^[6] yet contradicts the numbering of a list published in 2016 on the President's own official website.^[7] The Bangladesh High Commission, Singapore, in 2018 lists him as the 22nd President.^[8] Other reports about previous presidents, including some by Bangladesh's newspaper of record the Daily Star, do not correspond with either list.^[9][10]

List of officeholders

Political parties

  Awami League (AL)

  Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League (BaKSAL)

  Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Dal (Jagodal) / Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)

  Janadal / Jatiya Party (JP(E))

Other affiliations

  Independent

Status

  Acting president

Symbols

^† Died in office

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Election	Term of office			Political party (Coalition)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
Provisional Government of Bangladesh (1971–1972)
1		Sheikh Mujibur Rahman শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান (1920–1975) [a]	—	17 April 1971	12 January 1972	270 days	AL
—		Syed Nazrul Islam সৈয়দ নজরুল ইসলাম (1925–1975) [b]	—	17 April 1971	12 January 1972	270 days	AL
People's Republic of Bangladesh (1972–present)
2		Abu Sayeed Chowdhury আবু সাঈদ চৌধুরী (1921–1987)	—	12 January 1972	24 December 1973	1 year, 346 days	AL
3		Mohammad Mohammadullah মোহাম্মদ মুহম্মদুল্লাহ (1921–1999)	—	24 December 1973	27 January 1974	1 year, 32 days	AL
			1974	27 January 1974	25 January 1975
(1)		Sheikh Mujibur Rahman শেখ মুজিবুর রহমান (1920–1975)	—	25 January 1975	15 August 1975 (Assassinated in a coup)	202 days	BaKSAL
4		Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad খন্দকার মোশতাক আহমেদ (1918–1996)	—	15 August 1975	6 November 1975 (Deposed in a coup)	83 days	AL (with military support)
5		Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem আবু সাদাত মোহাম্মদ সায়েম (1916–1997) [c]	—	6 November 1975	21 April 1977	1 year, 166 days	AL (with military support)
6		Ziaur Rahman জিয়াউর রহমান (1936–1981) [d]	1977[e]	21 April 1977	12 June 1978	4 years, 39 days	Military / Jagodal / BNP
			1978[f]	12 June 1978	30 May 1981 (Assassinated)
7		Abdus Sattar আব্দুস সাত্তার (1906–1985)	—	30 May 1981	20 November 1981	298 days	BNP
			1981[f]	20 November 1981	24 March 1982 (Deposed in a coup)
Post vacant (24 – 27 March 1982)[g]
8		A. F. M. Ahsanuddin Chowdhury আবুল ফজল মোহাম্মদ আহসানউদ্দিন চৌধুরী (1915–2001)	—	27 March 1982	10 December 1983 (Dismissed)	1 year, 258 days	Independent (with military support)
9		Hussain Muhammad Ershad হুসেইন মুহাম্মদ এরশাদ (1930–2019) [h]	1985[e] 1986[f]	11 December 1983	6 December 1990 (Forced to resign)	6 years, 360 days	Military / Janadal / JP(E)
—		Shahabuddin Ahmed শাহাবুদ্দিন আহমেদ (1930–2022)	—	6 December 1990	10 October 1991	308 days	Independent
10		Abdur Rahman Biswas আবদুর রহমান বিশ্বাস (1926–2017)	1991	10 October 1991	9 October 1996	4 years, 365 days	BNP
11		Shahabuddin Ahmed শাহাবুদ্দিন আহমেদ (1930–2022)	1996	9 October 1996	14 November 2001	5 years, 36 days	Independent
12		A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chowdhury একিউএম বদরুদ্দোজা চৌধুরী (1930–2024)	2001	14 November 2001	21 June 2002	219 days	BNP
—		Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar মুহাম্মদ জমির উদ্দিন সরকার (born 1931)	—	21 June 2002	6 September 2002	77 days	BNP
13		Iajuddin Ahmed ইয়াজউদ্দিন আহম্মেদ (1931–2012)	2002	6 September 2002	12 February 2009	6 years, 159 days	Independent
14		Zillur Rahman জিল্লুর রহমান (1929–2013)	2009	12 February 2009	20 March 2013[†]	4 years, 36 days	AL
15		Mohammad Abdul Hamid মোহাম্মদ আব্দুল হামিদ (born 1944)[i]	—	14 March 2013	24 April 2013	10 years, 41 days	AL
			2013 2018	24 April 2013	24 April 2023
16		Mohammed Shahabuddin মোহাম্মদ সাহাবুদ্দিন (born 1949)	2023	24 April 2023	Incumbent[j]	2 years, 29 days	AL

Timeline

See also

• Presidential elections in Bangladesh
• List of office-holders in the Government of Bangladesh
• Caretaker government of Bangladesh
• Chief Adviser
• Prime Minister of Bangladesh
  • List of prime ministers of Bangladesh
• President of Bangladesh
• Vice President of Bangladesh
• List of rulers of Bengal

Notes

1. Incarcerated in Pakistan till 8 January 1972.
2. Acting in the absence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
3. Also Chief Martial Law Administrator (24 August 1975 – 4 November 1975 and 7 November 1975 – 29 November 1976).
4. Also Chief Martial Law Administrator (29 November 1976 – 6 April 1979).
5. Referendum.
6. Direct election.
7. During this period, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Hussain Muhammad Ershad served as Chief Martial Law Administrator and de facto head of state.
8. Served as Chief Martial Law Administrator until 30 March 1984.
9. Acting for Zillur Rahman until 20 March 2013.
10. Term ends on 24 April 2028.