Watch| Protester In Bangladesh, Demands President Shahabuddin Resignation In 24-Hour

Demonstrators set a 24-hour deadline for the president to step down

Protests have returned to Bangladesh just three months after demands for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. This time, demonstrators are calling for President Mohammed Shahabuddin to step down. In Dhaka, large crowds gathered outside the Bangabhaban, the presidential palace, and attempted to breach its gates but were met with a police barricade.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which previously led protests against Hasina, organized a rally at the central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Tuesday. Protesters have outlined five key demands, with the most pressing being Shahabuddin’s resignation. They have issued a 24-hour ultimatum for the president to step down.

Reasons Behind the Protest

The protesters are particularly incensed by Shahabuddin’s recent comments in a local interview, where he claimed he had not received any formal resignation from Hasina, who fled the country on August 5 amidst widespread protests regarding job quotas. Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator for the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, stated that the first of their five demands is to abolish the current 1972 Constitution, which they argue supports Shahabuddin’s presidency.

“The 1972 Constitution must be replaced with a new one in light of the mass upheaval of 2024,” Abdullah emphasized. He warned that if their demands are not met by the end of the week, protesters would escalate their actions.

 

Protesters Vow to Persist

Abdullah expressed confidence that Shahabuddin would be removed by midweek, adding that consultations with political parties would determine his successor. “If we remove Chuppu without designating the next president, neighboring countries might exploit the situation to interfere with our internal affairs,” he cautioned.

Other protesters echoed Abdullah’s sentiments, asserting that Shahabuddin’s comments have disqualified him from office. Ariful Islam, another demonstrator, claimed, “We will not leave the streets until Shahabuddin resigns,” highlighting the protesters’ collective frustration with the president’s perceived alignment with Hasina.

The protests, marked by separate factions such as “inqilab mancha” and “Raktim July ’24,” have resulted in blocked roads and confrontations with police. The situation escalated late Tuesday when some protesters attempted to breach the Bangabhaban gate, prompting the police to use sound grenades and army troops to intervene.

Background on President Mohammed Shahabuddin

Mohammed Shahabuddin, affectionately known as Chuppu, is the 16th President of Bangladesh. He is a jurist and civil servant who was elected unopposed in the 2023 presidential election, nominated by the Awami League. As protests continue to intensify, the calls for his resignation signal ongoing political unrest in the country.