Bangladesh Leader Steps Down Due to Ill Health

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Bangladesh’s president, a close ally of former premier Sheikh Hasina, resigned from the largely ceremonial role on Friday citing ill health, according to a letter seen by AFP.

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President Mohammed Shahabuddin confirmed he was stepping down in a call with AFP.

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“Yes, I have resigned,” Shahabuddin said when asked about widespread speculation that he planned to step down before completing his full term ending in 2028.

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He did not provide further details.

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In a resignation letter to the speaker of parliament, seen by AFP, Shahabuddin cited his deteriorating health.

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“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,” it said.

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The 76-year-old, widely known as “Chuppu”, was elected by parliament in 2023 with support from Hasina’s Awami League.

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When a student revolt ousted the autocratic Hasina in 2024, calls mounted for the president to be removed, too.

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Shahabuddin was accused of speaking to Hasina by phone while he was undergoing medical treatment in London in May, an allegation he has denied.

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Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed of the governing Bangladesh Nationalist Party said Thursday the government was not aware of the president having submitted his resignation.

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“If he wants to resign, he would have to submit his resignation letter to the speaker in accordance with the Constitution,” he told reporters.

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AFP

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