Dhaka: Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin resigned on Friday, citing deteriorating health and inability to continue fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities, prematurely ending his five-year term that was scheduled to end in April 2028. Shahabuddin oversaw the country during a turbulent period after an “uprising” against Sheikh Hasina’s government led to her ouster as prime minister.Shahabuddin’s exit comes amid growing pressure on the BNP government from the Jamaat-e-Islami-led opposition, which has been demanding that constitutional offices should no longer be filled by figures “appointed” during Hasina’s Awami League government.In his resignation letter to National Assembly Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, who has assumed the presidency, Shahabuddin said: “I suffer from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications. I had coronary artery bypass surgery. I was also diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy. Because of this disease, I often lose consciousness. Due to the progression of my illness, I am no longer able to properly discharge the important constitutional duties of the President. “Shahabuddin is a veteran of the 1971 Liberation War and a former subordinate judicial judge. He was sworn in in April 2023. He was elected to the top post by the previous parliament and is the only person to retain his constitutional position long after the violent “uprising” of July-August 2024.
