Bangladesh president to resign amid pressure after Hasina vows return

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is set to resign, sources told BBC Bangla, after former prime minister Sheikh Hasina said she would return to the country despite facing a death sentence over the 2024 crackdown on student protests.

Shahabuddin is expected to submit his resignation to the parliament speaker, who is returning to Bangladesh from Thailand where he had been for medical treatment. Officials cited by BBC Bangla said the president may cite illness as his reason for stepping down.

Shahabuddin’s spokesperson told Reuters the president, in office since 2023, is expected to quit on Friday. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters the government had not instructed the president to resign and noted the constitution allows voluntary resignation.

The International Crimes Tribunal last year convicted Hasina in absentia for permitting lethal force against protesters during unrest that led to 1,400 deaths and her fleeing the country; the court sentenced her to death. Hasina told Reuters she and allies would return from exile in India to face the courts, and said her party members have faced repression and imprisonment since her departure.

Following the fall of Hasina’s government, many top bureaucrats from her administration were removed. Shahabuddin remained as one of her few allies in office while an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took power. Shahabuddin had previously said he wished to leave the presidency but intended to remain until elections were held.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

Sources reporting to BBC Bangla indicate Shahabuddin will resign and submit his resignation to the returning parliament speaker. Reuters confirmed the president’s spokesperson expects a resignation on Friday, while the home minister stated no directive was given to the president. The International Crimes Tribunal’s prior conviction and sentencing of Hasina in absentia, and her stated plan to return from exile, frame the context for the reported resignation.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• President Mohammed Shahabuddin is reported to be resigning and will reportedly submit his resignation to the parliament speaker.
• Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina said she will return from exile despite a death sentence handed down in absentia over the 2024 protests.
• If Shahabuddin resigns, a presidential election must be held within 90 days under the constitution.