Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has resigned two years ahead of the end of his full five-year term. Shahabuddin resigns as Bangladesh president just as rising demand from opposition parties for him to step down had intensified in recent weeks.
Shahabuddin, 76, cited health reasons for his decision on Friday. “Recent medical examinations have diagnosed me with a condition known as Autonomic Neuropathy. Due to this condition, I occasionally experience momentary loss of consciousness,” he said in a statement released by his press secretary.
How the Resignation Takes Effect
The speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh’s national parliament, will perform the duties of the president until a new one is elected, according to the statement. A new president must be elected within the next 90 days under the constitution.
“I am seriously ill … therefore, I am unable to perform my duty of the constitutional post,” Shahabuddin wrote in a letter to Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Friday. Ahmed confirmed he had accepted the resignation, the Associated Press reported.
“According to the Constitution, the president’s resignation becomes effective upon submission of a signed letter to the speaker,” the president’s spokesperson, Sarwar Alam, said.
Reports of a Phone Call With Ousted PM Hasina
The resignation comes amid media reports that Shahabuddin spoke on the phone with ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who currently lives in India, during a visit he made to the UK for medical treatment in May, according to Dhaka-based outlet The Daily Star. Shahabuddin has denied the report.
“I am suffering from various health complications,” he told The Daily Star when asked about the reason for his resignation. “I have nothing more to add at this moment.” He had travelled to London on May 9 and returned on May 18.
A Presidency Shaped by Bangladesh’s Political Upheaval
Shahabuddin has served as president of the South Asian nation since April 2023, with his term originally set to run until 2028. He oversaw the country through a volatile period following Hasina’s ouster in August 2024 by youth protesters, and remained in office until a caretaker government was formed days later.
Hasina is currently living in exile in New Delhi, India, but is expected to return to Bangladesh in December, according to Reuters, which first reported news of Shahabuddin’s expected resignation on Thursday. His departure leaves Hasina without allies in high office just five months before her planned return.
As Bangladesh’s president, Shahabuddin’s role has largely been ceremonial. While he served as head of state, executive power in Bangladesh rests with the prime minister and cabinet.
