Mohammed Shahabuddin steps down as Bangladesh president

"I am sick, so it is done," he tells bdnews24.com

President Mohammed Shahabuddin has resigned, bringing days of speculation to an end.

Contacted via WhatsApp on Friday, Shahabuddin confirmed the move to bdnews24.com.

"It's already public knowledge. What's the point of hearing it from me? I am sick, so it is done," he said.

Asked whether he had signed the resignation letter, the president replied: "I've already told you. You can understand the rest."

A media briefing has been scheduled for 5pm on Friday at the parliament complex to announce the acceptance of the president's resignation.

Shahabuddin took office on Apr 24, 2023, during the then Awami League government, for a five-year term.

He becomes only the second Bangladesh president since the 1990s to step down before completing his term.

During his 39 months at Bangabhaban, he oversaw two national elections, administered the oath of office to three prime ministers and witnessed the unprecedented mass uprising that toppled a government and forced its prime minister into exile.

No president in the past three and a half decades has held office through such turbulent times.

Parliament has called a briefing for 5pm on Friday to announce the receipt of the president's resignation letter.

Under the Constitution, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad will now assume the role of acting president.

Parliament must elect a new president within 90 days.

Resignation Letter

Bangabhaban released a copy of the resignation letter to the media.

In it, Shahabuddin cites illness as his reason for stepping down.

He also credits his own "firm and positive" role after the 2024 July Uprising with helping the country avoid a constitutional breakdown.

In the letter, Shahabuddin recounts taking the oath as Bangladesh's 12th president, and says he has served with “integrity and full loyalty” to the Constitution since.

He notes that the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Aug 5, 2024 triggered “a governance and constitutional crisis”.

To resolve it, he writes, he sought the opinion of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court under Article 106 of the Constitution, then formed an interim government on the court's advice.

That government, he says, organised parliamentary polls in consultation with political parties.

“The current government, formed on the results of that election, is now in office, with both the ruling party and the Opposition carrying out their roles in parliament through democratic practice,” the letter reads.

Shahabuddin credits his own conduct with preventing any constitutional collapse during this period.

Turning to his health, he writes that he is “seriously” ill, citing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications.

He says he has undergone bypass surgery, and recent tests have diagnosed him with a condition called Autonomic Neuropathy, which causes him to briefly lose consciousness at times.

Given these physical and mental limitations, he can no longer carry out the responsibilities of the presidency, and needs prolonged medical treatment.

He says he is resigning under Article 50(3) of the Constitution.