Bangladesh President Steps Down as Political Turmoil Engulfs Former Leader’s Return

President Mohammed Shahabuddin of Bangladesh resigned on Friday, as Bangladeshis awaited the return and potential surrender of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, his former ally who had fled to India and was convicted last year of crimes against humanity.

The 76‑year‑old Shahabuddin, midway through his largely ceremonial term, cited illness as the reason for stepping down. Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad announced at a press conference that he had taken on the role of interim president, as required by the Constitution, which mandates an election to select a permanent successor within 90 days.

In his resignation letter to Ahmad, Shahabuddin stated, “It is not possible for me to fulfill the duties of such an important constitutional post,” adding, “I require long‑term medical treatment.”

Shahabuddin had been perceived as clinging to power long after Hasina’s fall, which was precipitated by mass student‑led protests in August 2024. In November, Hasina was sentenced in absentia to death for ordering lethal force against those protesters.

Shahabuddin’s resignation came shortly after Hasina announced in a Reuters interview that she intended to return to Bangladesh in December to confront the charges against her, which she denies.

“My party’s leaders and activists are facing severe repression,” she said. “If death is inevitable, I would prefer it to occur on my homeland, where my parents rest and where their blood was shed.”

Once celebrated as a pro‑democracy reformer who helped end Bangladesh’s military rule in 1990, Hasina’s 15‑year premiership increasingly faced accusations of corruption and authoritarianism.

The protests, sparked by anger over entrenched civil‑service job quotas, grew into a broader uprising against Hasina’s government, resulting in violent clashes with security forces.

The ensuing government crackdown resulted in approximately 1,400 deaths, according to the United Nations. Hasina resigned and fled in a military helicopter to India, where she remains.

The interim government subsequently banned Hasina’s Awami League from politics, and many of her associates were jailed or went into hiding.

Shahabuddin remained one of Hasina’s few allies in office. Although he faced no personal charges related to the deadly protests, many perceived him as complicit in her administration’s actions, and he was retained largely to avert a constitutional crisis as the interim government shifted toward an elected administration.

Current Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, elected in February, had for a time maintained appearances that allowed Shahabuddin to address the nation’s Parliament in March.

In his speech, Shahabuddin appeared to repudiate Hasina, labeling her government “fascist.”

After rumors surfaced that he had secretly attempted to contact his former ally while she was abroad, the current administration no longer regarded him as trustworthy, an adviser to Rahman said.

The adviser requested anonymity, noting that he was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

Shahabuddin himself had expressed desire to resign the previous year, telling Reuters that he felt “humiliated” that, after Hasina’s departure, his portrait had been removed from Bangladeshi embassies worldwide.

“My voice has been silenced,” he said.

Nahid Islam, a lawmaker who led the 2024 protests against Hasina as a student activist, declared at a political rally on Thursday that Shahabuddin should not be let off the hook for his role in her government.

“We believe that Chuppu, an accomplice of fascism, must not only resign but also be arrested following his resignation,” he said, employing the former president’s nickname.

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