UAE leaders congratulate Shahabuddin on his inauguration as President of Bangladesh

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to Mohammed Shahabuddin on the occasion of his taking the oath as the President of Bangladesh.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, also dispatched similar messages to Mohammed Shahabuddin.

Shahabuddin, a former judge and a ruling party official, was sworn in as the president of Bangladesh on Monday, just months before a general election.

Speaker Shirin Sharmin Choudhury (R) administers the oath to Mohammed Shahabuddin (L) during an oath taking ceremony at the presidential palace in Dhaka. AFP

Shahabuddin, 73, was an anti-corruption commissioner, the presidential palace said. "He was sworn in as the 22nd president of the People's Republic of Bangladesh today," Shampad Barua, secretary of the president, told AFP.

He was elected by lawmakers in February after the ruling Awami League party nominated him instead of the speaker of parliament, who had been seen as the favourite.

Shahabuddin replaces Abdul Hamid, a former speaker and Awami League stalwart, whose second term expired on Monday.

WAM / AFP