Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin, a former ally of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, will resign on Friday halfway through his term, according to his spokesman.
The president’s office is a largely ceremonial post and Shahabuddin is quitting much before the end of his tenure in April 2028. The decision comes after Hasina announced her plan to return in December to surrender following a court conviction.
“As a result of his illnesses, it is no longer possible for him to discharge his duties. He needs treatment and rest,” said Sarwar Alam, press secretary to the president.
Shahabuddin remained in office after Hasina was ousted in August 2024, following mass youth protests, overseeing a transition that culminated in elections bringing Tarique Rahman to power.
His resignation as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces would leave Hasina with no allies in high office five months before her planned return. Her Awami League party is banned, and many of its leaders and activists have been jailed or gone into hiding since a deadly student-led uprising toppled her government in 2024.
Alam did not give a reason for Shahabuddin’s resignation, but three sources familiar with the matter said the government had pressed him to step aside because of his long-standing ties to Hasina after the former prime minister announced that she planned to return to Bangladesh.