Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigns citing health concerns

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin, a former ally of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has resigned citing serious health issues, his office said on Friday, news agency Reuters reported. The 76-year-old leader had held the largely ceremonial post of President since April 2023, a period that included the turbulent months following Hasina’s flight to India after a student-led uprising against her government in 2024. "Recent medical examinations have diagnosed me with a condition known as Autonomic Neuropathy. Due to this condition, I occasionally experience momentary loss of consciousness," Shahabuddin said in a statement released by his press secretary. In the signed resignation letter addressed to the Speaker, the President stated, "I am severely ill. I am suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney complications. I have undergone bypass surgery on my heart. Recently, medical tests identified a condition called Autonomic Neuropathy. Due to this disease, I occasionally lose consciousness briefly. Owing to physical and mental incapacity caused by the onset of these diseases, it is no longer possible for me to discharge the duties of a vital constitutional post like that of the President. I require long-term treatment." He further wrote, "Under these circumstances, in accordance with the provisions of Article 50(3) of the Constitution, I hereby resign from the post of President." Shahabuddin’s resignation would leave Sheikh Hasina without any allies in high office, just five months before her planned return. Her Awami League party has been banned, and many of its leaders and activists have either been jailed or gone into hiding since the deadly student-led uprising that toppled her government in 2024. According to the statement, the Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad (national parliament) will perform the duties of the President until a new one is elected. As head of state, Shahabuddin serves as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, though executive power in the country of 173 million people rests with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world news on Zee News.