Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has resigned from office, citing serious health issues, his office announced on Friday. Shahabuddin, 76, has served as the largely ceremonial head of state since April 2023, a tenure marked by political upheaval following the ouster of his former ally, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The resignation comes after Shahabuddin was diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy, a condition that, according to his statement, causes him to occasionally lose consciousness. “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.
Shahabuddin’s departure leaves Hasina without allies in high office, just five months before her planned return. Since a deadly student-led uprising toppled her government in 2024, Hasina’s Awami League party has been banned, with many of its leaders and activists jailed or in hiding. Hasina herself fled to India in the wake of the unrest.
According to the constitution, the speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, Bangladesh’s national parliament, will assume the duties of president until a new one is elected.
While Shahabuddin held the position of commander-in-chief of the armed forces as head of state, executive authority in the country of 173 million people rests with the prime minister and cabinet.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com