Senior parliamentarian Zillur Rahman was sworn in as the 19th president of Bangladesh at a ceremony at the Bangabhaban Thursday.
Chief justice MM Ruhul Amin admistered the oath to the largely ceremonial office at the Darbar Hall ceremony watched by prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet colleagues among others.
Known as a close companion of independence architect and Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the 79-year-old president shook hands with his predecessor Iajuddin Ahmed and the chief justice immediately after taking oath.
Zillur and Iajuddin swapped chairs as the applauding audience, including senior civil and military officials, diplomats and donor representatives, gave them a standing ovation.
The oath-taking ceremony was broadcast live by Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private TV and radio stations.
Following the swearing in, the prime minister said, "We're happy to get such a personality as president, who had leading roles from the Language Movement in 1952 to the 'mass uprising' of 1990."
She said, "We hope the new president will now play a role to materialise 'Vision 2021' and the country's independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's dream of establishing a Sonar Bangla (Golden Bangladesh)."
Opposition chief whip Jainul Abdin Faruk, in an instant reaction, told newsmen: "We congratulated Zillur Rahman earlier on his election as president, and we congratulate him again today."
"He is an experienced politician. If he puts his experience to use, he will do a good job of upholding democracy."
"And if he works neutrally, BNP will extend all cooperation," said the BNP leader.
Chief election commissioner ATM Shamsul Huda Wednesday declared the election of Zillur the new titular head of state, unopposed, as no other nominees were put forward for the presidential polls.
Special forces and the president's guard regiment took charge of security of the new president and his residence at Ivy Tower in Gulshan since Zillur was declared president-elect.
An Awami League parliamentary party meeting earlier in the day picked AL presidium member Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury as new deputy leader of the House, replacing Zillur, at an Awami League Parliamentary Party meeting.
Zillur told the ALPP meeting he was glad to be taking over as president, but also was sad because "we all were working together, but from now there will be a break".
He urged all to pray for him and sought their cooperation.
He also called on the MPs to work together in defiance of political differences.
After the meeting, Hasina, the Awami League president, expressed her hope that the country's democracy would be strengthened with Zillur helming the state.
"A dedicated politician, having risen from grassroots, he has struggled a lot for the country," the premier said, throwing some light on Zillur's life and work.
"He kept the party united during all the difficulties when I was in the jail," Hasina said, adding that her father had taken Zillur's suggestions and cooperation.
On the eve of his swearing in, Zillur expressed his desire to work neutrally to serve the people.
"I will work for the people neutrally, even though I will be away from active politics," he had told us at his residence.
The veteran politician was born on March 9, 1929 at Bhairab in Kishoreganj and took to politics in his student days.
Zillur was elected lawmaker in the ninth parliamentary elections, and past elections of 1973, 1986, 1996 and 2001, from his Kishoreganj (Kuliarchar-Bhairab) constituency.
He was also elected to the provincial council (Pradeshik Parishad) in the 1970 election.
Hasina made Zillur acting party chief after she was arrested in 2007 by the military-installed emergency government on charges of corruption.
Zillur has two daughters and one son, and lost his wife, Ivy Rahman, a senior AL leader, to the grenade attacks on a party rally in Dhaka on Aug. 21, 2004.
Subject: Zillur becomes president............... 
Thu Feb 12, 2009 7:50 pm
