Bangladesh's President Shahabuddin resigns citing health concerns

Bangladesh’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin, appointed during the rule of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, resigned on Friday halfway through his term following years of political turbulence in the South Asian country.

A new government headed by Tarique Rahman, the son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and Hasina’s archrival, came to power with a landslide victory in February after 18 months of interim rule under Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. Hasina stepped down and fled to India in August 2024 following an anti-government movement that ended her 15-year rule.

Hasina fiercely criticised the interim administration led by Yunus.

Shahabuddin submitted his resignation on Friday to Parliament Speaker ⁠Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, citing medical reasons.

The resignation letter was seen by The Associated Press. The speaker told a news briefing later on Friday that he accepted the resignation. But local media reported that Shahabuddin had to resign under pressure from the current government as he allegedly talked to Hasina by phone when he visited London for medical treatment in May. The AP could not confirm the incident independently.

Shahabuddin was known to be a trusted follower of Hasina. Following her ouster, he faced strong opposition from a student group that led the uprising against Hasina. The protesters branded him a collaborator of Hasina and took to the streets demanding his resignation and arrest.

A new political party formed by the student leaders of the uprising, the National Citizen Party, has long been campaigning against Shahabuddin.

According to Bangladesh's constitution, if the president resigns, the speaker of Parliament automatically takes over the post on an interim basis until a new president is elected by lawmakers. The NCP joined an election alliance led by the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, the largest Islamist party in the country.

The president is the head of state and primarily a figurehead but also has a constitutional role during a political crisis. The president also acts as the commander-in-chief of Bangladesh's armed forces.

Shahabuddin was sworn in as the 22nd president of Bangladesh on April 24, 2023. Hasina won a fourth consecutive term in a January 2024 election that was boycotted by major opposition parties including Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Shahabuddin’s resignation has deprived Hasina of a powerful ally. The ousted prime minister has told mainly Indian media that she wants to return to Bangladesh in December and surrender in court to face charges.

India refused to hand over Hasina to Bangladesh despite repeated requests by both the Yunus-led government and the current one.

In November, a special tribunal on Bangladesh sentenced Hasina to death in absentia for ordering a crackdown on the uprising. The United Nations in a report said nearly 1,400 people were killed in the crackdown. Hasina denied the charges against her from exile.

Associated Press