Bangladesh Supreme Court Surrounded By Protestors, Chief Justice Quits After Being Given Deadline

Bangladesh's Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan has resigned following intense protests at the Supreme Court in Dhaka.

On Saturday, hundreds of protesters, including students and lawyers, surrounded the court premises and issued an ultimatum for the Chief Justice and other Appellate Division judges to step down by 1 PM local time.

Photo Credit: PTI

The protests escalated when demonstrators threatened to besiege the judges' residences if they did not resign before the deadline.

Around 10:30 AM, the crowd began gathering at the Supreme Court, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Justice Hassan and the cessation of the full court meeting.

Earlier in the day, Asif Mahmud, an adviser to the Youth and Sports Ministry of the Interim government, posted on Facebook, calling for the unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and the cancellation of the full court meeting, which was convened to discuss the potential continuation of virtual court functions.

Amidst the mounting pressure, Chief Justice Hassan postponed the full court meeting and reportedly decided to tender his resignation after consulting with President Mohammed Shahabuddin later in the evening, as reported by The Dhaka Tribune.

The Chief Justice revealed his decision on Saturday midday after witnessing the scale of the protests at the court premises.

Obaidul Hassan, who was appointed as Chief Justice last year, is considered a close ally of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina, aged 76, fled to neighboring India by helicopter on Monday as massive protests erupted in Dhaka, marking a dramatic end to her authoritarian rule.

Her government had been accused of widespread human rights violations, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of political opponents, which has fueled the current unrest and demands for change within Bangladesh's judiciary.