Last Updated on July 24, 2026 7:29 pm by BIZNAMA NEWS
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on Friday, citing deteriorating health, nearly two years before completing his five-year term.
“I am suffering from various health complications,” Shahabuddin told this correspondent when asked about the reason for his resignation. “I have nothing more to add at this moment.”
His resignation letter was accepted by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad on Friday evening, President’s Press Secretary Sarwar Alam said.
The resignation comes amid media reports that Shahabuddin spoke with ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina over the phone during his visit to London for medical treatment in May. Shahabuddin was in London from May 9 to 18. Hasina has been living in exile in India since August 2024.
In his resignation letter, Shahabuddin said he had served the country with “honesty, integrity, and full allegiance to the constitution” since taking oath as Bangladesh’s 22nd president on April 24, 2023.
Referring to the political upheaval following the student-led uprising that ousted the Awami League government in August 2024, he said Bangladesh had faced a constitutional crisis. Acting under Article 106 of the Constitution, he sought the opinion of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court before forming the interim government, which later oversaw the parliamentary election.
“Based on the election results, the present government was formed and is now administering the country. The ruling party and the opposition are carrying out their responsibilities in parliament through democratic practices. Owing to my prudent and historic role, the country did not experience any constitutional vacuum,” he wrote.
Explaining his decision to step down, Shahabuddin said he had long been suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications, and had recently been diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy. “Because of this illness, I occasionally lose consciousness,” he wrote, adding that his worsening physical and mental condition had made it impossible for him to continue in office and that he required long-term medical treatment.
“Therefore, in accordance with Article 50(3) of the Constitution, I hereby resign from the office of the president,” he said.
Under Article 54 of the Constitution, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad will discharge the president’s duties until a new president is elected. Article 123(2) requires that a new president be elected within 90 days of the office falling vacant.
A freedom fighter and former district and sessions judge, Shahabuddin served as an Anti-Corruption Commission commissioner from 2011 to 2016 before becoming president. He was elected unopposed as the Awami League nominee in February 2023 and took office on April 24 that year.
Following the political transition in August 2024, several parties, including the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, demanded his removal. The interim government did not act, citing constitutional constraints. After the BNP formed the government following its victory in the February 12 parliamentary election, discussions over replacing the president resurfaced, though party leaders said in March the issue had not been formally discussed as Shahabuddin still had time left in his tenure. News of his resignation emerged four months later.