President likely to resign in coming weeks

President Mohammed Shahabuddin is expected to resign in the coming weeks, citing health reasons, according to sources familiar with the development, amid months of tension between the presidency and the interim government.

Shahabuddin, popularly known as “Chuppu,” assumed office in April 2023 under the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina.

He was retained as head of state after Hasina’s resignation and the formation of the interim government in August 2024, despite persistent criticism from various political factions over his ties to the former administration.

Seeking anonymity, two senior officials told this newspaper that the 74-year-old former district judge and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) commissioner is expected to step down later this month, officially citing failing health.

He recently travelled to London for medical treatment.

However, the political sensitivities surrounding his tenure have deepened in recent weeks.

A top intelligence source said that during his stay in London, Shahabuddin met with several leaders of the now-outlawed Awami League who are currently living abroad.

Sidelined at Bangabhaban
Sources close to Bangabhaban said the president had expressed frustration over being functionally sidelined, with limited official duties during the interim government’s tenure.

The reassignment and removal of several press officials from his office, sources said, had left him largely unable to issue official public statements or manage presidential communications.

At the same time, several political parties and student organisations that spearheaded the July 2024 mass uprising have stepped up demands for his removal, describing him as a remaining symbol of the previous administration.

Under constitutional procedure, should Shahabuddin formally submit his resignation, the Speaker of the National Parliament — or the designated constitutional authority — would be expected to assume the role of acting president.

Following the resignation, the Election Commission would then be tasked with announcing a schedule to elect a new president.

Government says it has not asked him to quit
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Thursday that the government has not asked President Shahabuddin to resign, though he remains free to do so if he wishes.

“The BNP-led government has not asked President Md Shahabuddin to resign, but he can resign if he wants to,” he told reporters at the Secretariat, responding to questions about the swirling speculation over the president’s future.

Asked about the rumours, Salahuddin said such talk was, in his words, just talk. “If the president wants to resign for health reasons or any other reason, he has that option.

The government has not said anything on this matter. Whether he wants to resign on health grounds is a question that should be put to him directly,” he said.

The home minister noted that multiple media outlets had reported on Thursday that the president may resign soon, and said he had seen the reports in the newspapers, but did not confirm whether a resignation was actually imminent.

He added that, constitutionally, if the president wishes to resign, he must submit his resignation to the Speaker — a procedure clearly laid out in the rules.

The developments come at a politically sensitive moment, with the country still navigating the transition put in place after mass uprising, and with questions over the presidency likely to remain a flashpoint among political parties in the weeks ahead.