Recent reports indicate that President Mohammed Shahabuddin of Bangladesh may soon resign, as suggested by various local media sources on Thursday.
This development comes amidst significant changes in the country’s political environment.
Since taking office in April 2023, Shahabuddin has been the only high-ranking official to maintain his position following the protests in July 2024.
According to ‘The Daily Star’, a prominent newspaper in Bangladesh, Shahabuddin had a phone call with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while he was in London for medical treatment in May. Intelligence agencies reportedly became aware of this conversation, leading to calls for his resignation.
However, a senior member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) suggested that the phone call was not the only factor contributing to the expected resignation, describing the situation as “more complex”.
As per the ‘Times of Bangladesh’, a source close to the President mentioned that he is likely to resign by July 31 and move to his residence in Gulshan afterward.
In a conversation with the ‘Times of Bangladesh’, President Shahabuddin acknowledged the possibility of his resignation but did not elaborate further.
This news comes as the BNP-led government intensifies its crackdown on Awami League leaders. Shahabuddin has previously claimed that there were attempts to remove him from office during the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Earlier this year, in an interview with ‘Kaler Kantho’, a Bengali daily, Shahabuddin expressed that he was sidelined from crucial discussions during the interim government’s one-and-a-half-year term, alleging that conspiracies were formed to destabilize the country and create a constitutional void.
He stated, “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.”
When questioned about the success of these efforts, he remarked, “I was steadfast in my decision. That is why no conspiracy succeeded. Especially the numerous plots to overthrow the President through unconstitutional means have failed. As a result, the experience of one and a half years at Bangabhaban cannot be said to be good. I don’t know whether anyone else had the strength to withstand the storm that has passed over me.”