Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin, a close ally of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned from the largely ceremonial post, citing deteriorating health, according to a resignation letter seen by AFP.
Shahabuddin confirmed his resignation in a phone call with AFP on Friday.
“Yes, I have resigned,” he said, responding to reports that he planned to step down before the end of his term in 2028. He did not provide further details.
In his resignation letter to the speaker of parliament, Shahabuddin said his declining physical and mental health had made it impossible for him to continue carrying out the duties of the presidency.
“Due to worsening physical and mental incapacity… it is no longer possible for me to properly discharge the responsibilities of an important constitutional office such as the presidency,” the letter said.
The 76-year-old president, popularly known as “Chuppu”, was elected by parliament in 2023 with the backing of Hasina’s Awami League.
His position came under pressure after a student-led uprising forced Hasina from power in 2024, with protesters and opposition groups also calling for Shahabuddin’s removal because of his association with the former ruling party.
The president was accused of speaking with Hasina by phone while receiving medical treatment in London in May, a claim he denied.
The development came after Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Thursday that the government had no confirmation that Shahabuddin had submitted a resignation letter.
“If he wants to resign, he would have to submit his resignation letter to the speaker in accordance with the Constitution,” Ahmed told reporters.
AFP
