Bangladesh President Shahabuddin Likely To Resign As Political Tension Deepens In Country: Reports

Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin is likely to resign nearly two years before completing his five-year term, according to political sources and local media reports, amid growing speculation that the government is no longer keen on his continuation in office.

A senior leader of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) told PTI that Shahabuddin was "likely to resign soon", without disclosing further details.

Speculation has intensified over the past two days after several Bangladeshi media outlets reported that the government was considering appointing a new president. Shahabuddin is the only constitutional office-holder from the former Awami League administration to have remained in office since the student-led uprising in July-August 2024 that ousted then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, where she has remained ever since.

According to Prothom Alo, citing a senior government source, the administration was unhappy over reports that Shahabuddin had recently tried to re-establish contact with Hasina. However, a senior BNP leader told The Daily Star that the reported conversation was not the only reason behind the expected resignation, describing the issue as more complex, particularly after Hasina announced plans to return to Bangladesh in December.

The Bangladesh government has said it welcomes her return but insists she must face justice. In November 2025, Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death in absentia over their role in suppressing the 2024 protests.

Shahabuddin, a 1971 Liberation War veteran and former judge, assumed office in April 2023. Under Bangladesh's Constitution, Parliamentary Speaker Hafizuddin Ahmed would serve as acting president until a new head of state is elected if Shahabuddin resigns.