Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigns
Dhaka, July 24
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin stepped down from office on Friday with the Speaker of the national Parliament formally accepting his resignation letter, the local media reported.
Shahabuddin, who assumed office in April 2023, was the only top constitutional office holder to hold the post since the July 2024 demonstrations. Although his tenure was due to end in April 2028, he resigned almost two years before its conclusion.
Speaking to Bangladesh's leading newspaper 'The Daily Star', Shahabuddin cited health reasons for his resignation.
"I am suffering from various health complications. I have nothing more to add at this moment," he said.
His resignation came amid reports that Shahabuddin held a telephonic conversation with the country's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while he was in London for medical treatment in May this year, 'Daily Star' reported, citing sources.
The report said that intelligence agencies subsequently learned about the conversation, following which the President was asked to step down.
However, a senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader claimed that the reported phone conversation was not the sole reason behind the anticipated resignation, terming the matter as "more complex".
Following the ouster of the Hasina-led Awami League government during the July 2024 protests, Shahabuddin's continuation as President became the focus of sustained political debate in the country, another leading Bangladeshi daily 'Prothom Alo' reported.
This latest development in Bangladesh's fast-evolving political landscape comes amid the BNP-led government's growing crackdown on leaders associated with the Awami League.
It also followed Shahabuddin's recent claims that attempts had been made to overthrow him from office during the tenure of the previous Muhammad Yunus-led interim government
Earlier this year, in an interview with Bangladeshi Bengali daily 'Kaler Kantho' at Bangabhaban, his official residence in Dhaka, Shahabuddin asserted that he was excluded from key discussions during the one-and-a-half-year tenure of the interim government, alleging that conspiracies were hatched to overthrow him and that attempts were made to destabilise the country and create a constitutional vacuum.
"During those one and a half years, I have not been in any discussion, yet various conspiracies are being hatched against me. There have been many attempts to permanently destroy the peace and order of the country and create a constitutional vacuum," he stated.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Health reasons? Abhi to woh London se treatment karke aaye the. This whole "I was excluded from discussions" narrative is fishy. BNP ke leaders ne sahi kaha—yeh ek complex game hai. India's eastern border is directly impacted by these power shifts. Let's see how Delhi handles this now.
Political instability in a nuclear-adjacent region is never good news. The fact that Shahabuddin was only in office for about a year and a half before stepping down suggests this was more than just health issues. The BNP's crackdown on Awami League loyalists is reminiscent of authoritarian cycles we've seen elsewhere. India must maintain diplomatic balance here.
Har baar Bangladesh mein kuch hota hai toh Pakistan ke log khush ho jaate hain. Lekin iss baar to situation alag hai. Shahabuddin ne sahi kaha ki unhain discussions mein shamil nahi kiya gaya. Interim government ne uss aadmi ko isolate kar diya aur abh resignation lekar bhaag gaye. India should step up its game with Dhaka—our border security and trade depend on it.
It's concerning how quickly constitutional norms can erode in South Asia. A president forced out because of a phone call to a former PM? This sets a dangerous precedent. India's own democratic institutions have weathered storms, but we need to critically assess our own role in the region. Stability in Bangladesh is non-negotiable for our strategic interests.
Those July 2024 protests were massive—students, common people, everyone was on the streets. Shahabuddin
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