Bangladesh tense as protesters storm President's residence, seek his resignation

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President Mohammed Shahabuddin is being called upon by the demonstrators to step down, accusing him of falsehoods regarding the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August.

Briefly put

Allegations have been raised against the President for allegedly falsifying information regarding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
Tuesday night witnesses a surge of protests.
Hasina, the Sheikh, is presently in India after escaping in the month of August.

Tensions have resurfaced in Bangladesh as a large group of demonstrators forcefully entered Bangabhaban, the official residence of the President in Dhaka, on Tuesday evening. Their primary demand was the dismissal of President Mohammed Shahabuddin due to allegations of dishonesty regarding the purported resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August.

Months following the conclusion of the political crisis in August, which brought an end to Sheikh Hasina’s 16-year rule and led to her seeking refuge in India, the protests have resurfaced with renewed vigor.

President Shahabuddin informed a local newspaper last week that he lacked any proof regarding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on August 5, stating that he had merely been informed about it.

He expressed attempting several times to gather the resignation letter but was unsuccessful, speculating that she might have been too busy.

Shahabuddin informed the public in a statement on the evening of August 5 that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had submitted her resignation letter to the president, which he had accepted.

Asif Nazrul, the Law Affairs Adviser, accused the President of dishonesty on Monday, stating that his comments constituted a breach of his oath of office. He further noted the existence of a constitutional provision for the President’s removal from power.

The demonstrations in Bangladesh reportedly commenced in the evening on Tuesday as demonstrators proceeded towards Bangabhaban. As the crowd swelled with additional participants, law enforcement authorities resorted to using stun grenades to scatter the protesters.

The demonstrators proceeded despite the opposition, resulting in confrontations with authorities.

According to a report in The Daily Star newspaper, a minimum of five individuals, among them two journalists, sustained injuries as law enforcement employed tear gas and batons to disperse the demonstrators.

Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, key figures in the Anti-discrimination Student Movement that led the effort to remove Sheikh Hasina, appeared at the protest location late on Tuesday night, urging the protesters to disperse, according to The Daily Star.

Should no one be selected by the specified date, Sarjis pledged to stand in solidarity and rally alongside the people to take action if necessary, contrasting with Hasnat’s commitment to engaging with political factions to designate a new President by Thursday.

The pair of student leaders additionally presented a set of five requests, one of which called for the abolition of Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution.

Hasnat was quoted by the PTI news agency as saying that their initial demand, among the five outlined, is the instant abolishment of the ‘pro-Mujb (Bangladesh’s founding leader) 1972 Constitution’ that enabled Chuppu (president’s nickname) to remain in power.

Creating a fresh constitution in response to the widespread unrest of 2024 will necessitate the replacement of the outdated 1972 Constitution.