Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has resigned from office, citing worsening health conditions that have left him unable to continue carrying out his constitutional responsibilities.
Although his five-year presidential term was scheduled to run until April 2028, Shahabuddin said in his resignation letter that his deteriorating health had made it impossible for him to fulfill the duties of the presidency, prompting him to step down before the end of his term.
In his resignation letter addressed to Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Shahabuddin said he has been suffering from heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney-related complications. He also underwent coronary artery bypass surgery and was later diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy, a neurological disorder that causes him to frequently lose consciousness. Due to the progression of his illness, he said he is no longer able to properly discharge the constitutional responsibilities of the office.
Following his resignation, Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad has assumed the responsibilities of the president in accordance with the Constitution.
Shahabuddin's resignation also comes amid Bangladesh's evolving political landscape. Opposition groups led by Jamaat-e-Islami have been calling for the replacement of constitutional officeholders who were appointed during the previous Awami League government under former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Shahabuddin was sworn in as Bangladesh's president in April 2023. A veteran of the country's 1971 Liberation War, he also previously served as a judge in the lower judiciary.
Following the mass uprising in July and August 2024 that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government, Shahabuddin remained the only constitutional officeholder appointed during the previous administration who continued to serve in office.
Ref/Photo: The Times of India.
