Key facts
- President Mohammed Shahabuddin will resign on Friday.
- Shahabuddin was elected president in 2023 as a nominee of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party.
- Ousted premier Sheikh Hasina plans to return from exile to surrender.
- Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia in November for ordering a crackdown during a 2024 uprising.
- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government is seeking to remove Hasina's allies from high office.
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is set to resign on Friday, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Shahabuddin, who was elected unopposed in 2023 as a nominee of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party, has informed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman of his decision. This development comes days after Hasina, the ousted premier, announced her intention to return from exile to surrender to Rahman's government.
Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia last November by Bangladesh's war crimes court for ordering a crackdown during a student-led uprising in 2024 that resulted in nearly 1,400 deaths. She has denied the charges from exile. News of her planned return has intensified pressure on Rahman's administration to remove Hasina's remaining allies from positions of power.
The role of the president in Bangladesh is largely ceremonial, with executive power vested in the prime minister and cabinet. Shahabuddin's presidency gained prominence following the 2024 uprising, which forced Hasina to flee to India. Sources indicated that Parliament speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad could serve as interim president until a permanent successor is elected.
Shahabuddin had previously told Reuters in December that he was planning to resign after the February election that brought Rahman to power. Rahman's spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment.