Bangladesh Protests Intensify as Demonstrators Call for President Shahabuddin's Resignation

Several hundred demonstrators attempted to breach the presidential palace on Tuesday, demanding President Mohammed Shahabuddin step down. This followed his recent remarks about former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Last week, Shahabuddin mentioned in an interview with Bangla daily Manab Zamin that he lacked documentary proof of Hasina's resignation before she left the country on August 5 amid student-led protests.

Protests and Police Response

Protesters clashed with police as they tried to enter the Bangabhaban, according to witnesses and TV footage. Police used sound grenades to disperse the crowd, and army troops later intervened, sending police inside the palace. The situation calmed when the military used loudspeakers to ask protesters to leave the area.

Injuries and Hospital Reports

The Business Standard, a Bangladeshi newspaper, reported that two individuals suffered gunshot wounds when security forces fired shots to prevent protesters from breaching the palace barricades. A third person was injured by a sound grenade intended to disperse violent crowds.

Demands for Resignation

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which led the campaign that ousted Hasina, gathered at Central Shaheed Minar demanding Shahabuddin's resignation. They issued a seven-day ultimatum for his removal and presented a five-point demand, including abolishing Bangladesh's 1972 Constitution. "Our first point of the five-point demand is immediate scrapping of the pro-Mujb Bangladesh’s founding leader 1972 Constitution which kept Chuppu president’s nickname in office," stated Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement.

Political Reactions and Accusations

Asif Nazrul, law affairs adviser in Professor Muhammad Yunus's interim government, accused Shahabuddin of "falsehood," claiming his comments violated his oath of office. Nazrul suggested that if Shahabuddin stood by his statements, the interim government might question his suitability for office. In a televised address on August 5, Shahabuddin stated he had received Hasina's resignation letter.

Legal and Constitutional Implications

Constitution expert Shahdhin Malik noted that Bangladesh's Parliament could impeach the president but acknowledged that many actions were occurring outside legal boundaries. Malik described ongoing debates over Hasina's resignation letter as unnecessary given current realities. He emphasized that after Hasina's government was toppled, an interim government formed based on Supreme Court opinion.

Bangabhaban released a statement urging people not to reignite controversy over what it called a "settled issue." It stated that questions about Hasina's resignation and departure were addressed in a Supreme Court order dated August 8, 2024. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus became Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government on August 8 after Hasina fled to India on August 5.