Acting Speaker to Administer Presidential Oath, Law Ministry Confirms

The Law Ministry has provided its legal opinion, confirming that Barrister Kayser Kamal, currently serving as the acting Speaker, is the constitutionally appropriate authority to administer the oath of office to the nation's incoming president. This guidance was sought by the cabinet division, which had expressed uncertainty regarding whether the acting president or the acting speaker should preside over the ceremony.

Sources within the Law Ministry and the cabinet division confirmed that the ministry issued its opinion on August 13. The presidential swearing-in ceremony is slated to take place on Friday at 7:30 PM in the Darbar Hall of Bangabhaban. The Law Ministry's legal assessment clarified that since the original Speaker, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, is now acting as president, and Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal is fulfilling all Speaker duties, he holds the constitutional authority for the oath administration.

A cabinet division official, speaking anonymously, noted that the ambiguity surrounding the swearing-in prompted the request for clarification from the Law Ministry. The country's 22nd president, Mohammed Shahabuddin, resigned on July 24, leading to the presidential election scheduled for August 20. If all proceeds as planned, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the BNP nominee and current party secretary general, is poised to become Bangladesh's 23rd president. The cabinet division is managing the overall arrangements for the ceremony, which is expected to be attended by top state and government dignitaries, including the acting president and the prime minister.