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.
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]
| Portrait | Name | Election | Term of office | Political party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| Provisional Government of Bangladesh (1971–1972) | ||||||||
| 1 | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | — | 17 April 1971 | 12 January 1972 | AL | |||
| — | Syed Nazrul Islam | — | 17 April 1971 | 12 January 1972 | AL | |||
| People's Republic of Bangladesh (1972–present) | ||||||||
| 2 | Abu Sayeed Chowdhury | — | 12 January 1972 | 24 December 1973 | AL | |||
| 3 | Mohammad Mohammadullah | — | 24 December 1973 | 27 January 1974 | AL | |||
| 1974 | 27 January 1974 | 25 January 1975 | ||||||
| (1) | Sheikh Mujibur Rahman | — | 25 January 1975 | 15 August 1975 | BaKSAL | |||
| 4 | Khondaker Mostaq Ahmad | — | 15 August 1975 | 6 November 1975 | AL | |||
| 5 | Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem | — | 6 November 1975 | 21 April 1977 | AL | |||
| 6 | Ziaur Rahman | 1977 | 21 April 1977 | 12 June 1978 | Military / Jagodal / BNP | |||
| 1978 | 12 June 1978 | 30 May 1981 | ||||||
| 7 | Abdus Sattar | — | 30 May 1981 | 20 November 1981 | BNP | |||
| 1981 | 20 November 1981 | 24 March 1982 | ||||||
| Post vacant (24 – 27 March 1982) | ||||||||
| 8 | Ahsanuddin Chowdhury | — | 27 March 1982 | 10 December 1983 | Independent | |||
| 9 | Hussain Muhammad Ershad | 1985 1986 | 11 December 1983 | 6 December 1990 | Military / Janadal / JP(E) | |||
| — | Shahabuddin Ahmed | — | 6 December 1990 | 10 October 1991 | Independent | |||
| 10 | Abdur Rahman Biswas | 1991 | 10 October 1991 | 9 October 1996 | BNP | |||
| 11 | Shahabuddin Ahmed | 1996 | 9 October 1996 | 14 November 2001 | Independent | |||
| 12 | Badruddoza Chowdhury | 2001 | 14 November 2001 | 21 June 2002 | BNP | |||
| — | Muhammad Jamiruddin Sircar | — | 21 June 2002 | 6 September 2002 | BNP | |||
| 13 | Iajuddin Ahmed | 2002 | 6 September 2002 | 12 February 2009 | Independent | |||
| 14 | Zillur Rahman | 2009 | 12 February 2009 | 20 March 2013[†] | AL | |||
| 15 | Mohammad Abdul Hamid | — | 14 March 2013 | 24 April 2013 | AL | |||
| 2013 | 24 April 2013 | 24 April 2018 | ||||||
| 2018 | 24 April 2018 | 24 April 2023 | ||||||
| 16 | Mohammed Shahabuddin | 2023 | 24 April 2023 | Incumbent | AL | |||