Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has resigned from office, citing declining health, bringing an early end to his tenure in the largely ceremonial position. His resignation was confirmed on Friday through a letter obtained by AFP.
Speaking with AFP, Shahabuddin confirmed his decision to leave office amid growing speculation that he would not complete his term, which was due to expire in 2028.
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“Yes, I have resigned,” the president said, without offering additional details about his decision.
In his resignation letter addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Shahabuddin said worsening physical and mental health had made it impossible for him to continue performing the duties of the presidency effectively.
“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 stated.
The 76-year-old president, popularly known as “Chuppu,” was elected by Parliament in 2023 with the backing of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League.
Following the student-led uprising that removed Hasina from power in 2024, pressure intensified for Shahabuddin, regarded as one of her close allies, to also vacate office.
He was also accused of holding a telephone conversation with Hasina while receiving medical treatment in London in May, an allegation he has consistently denied.
On Thursday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party said the government had not received any official notification of the president’s resignation.
“If he wants to resign, he would have to submit his resignation letter to the Speaker in accordance with the Constitution,” Ahmed told journalists.
AFP
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