By Blessing Nweke
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is set to resign on Friday, stepping down halfway through his five-year term as political pressure intensifies over his close ties to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The move comes just days after Hasina announced plans to return from exile later this year to surrender to authorities following her conviction by a war crimes court.
Shahabuddin, a longtime ally of Hasina and a member of her now-banned Awami League, has faced mounting criticism from the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. His resignation would remove one of Hasina’s last remaining allies from a senior state position before her planned return to Bangladesh in December.
According to Shahabuddin’s spokesperson, the president’s departure follows sustained pressure linked to his perceived loyalty to the ousted leader. Although the presidency is largely ceremonial in Bangladesh, the office serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and carries symbolic political significance.
Hasina fled to India in August 2024 after a student-led uprising forced her from power. Last year, Bangladesh’s war crimes tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over the deadly crackdown on protesters during the unrest, a verdict she has consistently rejected as politically motivated.
Her Awami League party remains banned, with many senior leaders either imprisoned or in hiding following the 2024 upheaval. The expected resignation of Shahabuddin is seen as another step by the current administration to distance state institutions from Hasina’s former government.
Following Shahabuddin’s resignation, parliamentary Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is expected to assume the role of interim president until a successor is chosen, according to reports.
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