Dhaka: Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin resigned on Friday citing his deteriorating health and inability to continue discharging the constitutional duties of the office, bringing an early end to his five-year term that was scheduled to end in April 2028.
Shahabuddin oversaw the country during the turbulent period after the “uprising” against Sheikh Hasina’s government led to her ouster as prime minister.Shahabuddin’s exit also comes amid mounting pressure on the BNP government from the Jamaat-e-Islami-led opposition, which has been demanding that constitutional posts should not be filled by figures “appointed” during the previous Hasina-led Awami League administration.In his resignation letter addressed to Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Hafizuddin Ahmed, who has assumed the responsibilities of president, Shahabuddin said: “I suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications.
She underwent coronary bypass surgery. I have also been diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy. Because of this disease, I often lose consciousness.
“Given the progression of the disease, it has become impossible for me to properly discharge the important constitutional responsibilities of the President.”Shahabuddin, a veteran of the 1971 Liberation War and a former lower judiciary judge, was sworn in in April 2023. He was elected to the highest office by the previous parliament and was the only person still holding his constitutional position, long after the violent “uprising” in July-August 2024.