Staff Reporter:
President Mohammed Shahabuddin will resign from his post shortly, citing physical illness, a close associate of the president confirmed to media outlets.
“It is certain that he is leaving, and time is short,” the close associate said.
Media personnel contacted Bangabhaban on Thursday and spoke with several officials, including the president’s close confidant.
Multiple Bangabhaban sources stated that the government requested the president to resign voluntarily at his convenience.
Following the request, the president mentally prepared himself to step down. He may submit his resignation letter in the first week of next month by following the constitutional process. Sources noted that he has very little time left to complete the resignation formalities.
Sources added that he will rest for a few days after resigning and may travel abroad for medical treatment.
Under the constitution, the speaker will temporarily assume the duties of the president if the post becomes vacant. Subsequently, members of the Jatiya Sangsad will elect a new president within the stipulated timeframe. The next general election will take place during the new president’s tenure.
“The president often says that his health is deteriorating and he might take a decision at any moment,” a Bangabhaban official said on condition of anonymity.
Another official stated that the president is preparing mentally to resign, although he has not yet fixed the exact date. He will submit his resignation letter through proper channels in the first week of next month.
Meanwhile, rumours surrounding the president’s resignation circulated on social media following a post on 22 July by expatriate journalist Zulkarnain Saer. However, neither Bangabhaban nor the government has issued an official statement regarding the matter.
In his post, Zulkarnain Saer wrote that President Mohammed Shahabuddin will resign within the next few days citing health reasons. He added that the government favors Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani for the position of new president, rather than a senior BNP leader.
Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government during the July movement, Jamaat-e-Islami and the NCP have conducted demonstrations demanding the president’s resignation. Following the 13th national parliamentary election, several policy-making leaders of the BNP also supported his removal. However, the president requested an opportunity to step down honorably without facing impeachment proceedings.
Mohammed Shahabuddin became the 22nd president of the country on 13 February 2023 and assumed office on 24 April that year. Following the mass uprising of students and the public on 5 August 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.
In the ensuing situation, the president played a key role in filling the constitutional vacuum, resolving the political crisis, and providing guardianship for the formation of an interim government. Following discussions with political parties, civil society, and student representatives, he formed the interim government and administered the oath of office to the new administration.
