President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned from office on Friday, bringing weeks of speculation to an end and citing health and personal reasons for his decision.
Earlier on Friday afternoon, he submitted his signed resignation letter to Speaker of the Parliament Hafiz Uddin Ahmed in accordance with the Constitution.
Upon accepting the resignation, the Speaker assumed the responsibilities of Acting President under Article 54 of the Constitution.
However, his departure had been the subject of intense political speculation in recent weeks. Reports linked the move to an alleged phone conversation with ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina during his medical stay in London, his perceived ties to the former Awami League government, his deteriorating health and mounting political pressure. None of these claims has been officially confirmed.
At around 4:00 pm on Friday, the president's Military Secretary Major General ASM Bahawuddin delivered the signed resignation letter to the Speaker's office at the National Parliament. An hour later, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed formally confirmed at a press briefing that he had accepted the resignation.
The Speaker said that under Article 50(3) of the Constitution, the resignation took effect immediately upon submission. In line with Article 54, he said, he had assumed the duties of Acting President.
He added that the resignation letter would be preserved in the official records of the Parliament Secretariat and directed the relevant authorities to complete the necessary administrative formalities.
What the president wrote in his resignation letter
In the resignation letter, written on official presidential letterhead, Shahabuddin said that since assuming office on April 24, 2023, he had discharged his constitutional responsibilities with sincerity, integrity and loyalty to the Constitution.
He wrote that following the student-led mass uprising on August 5, 2024, which triggered a constitutional crisis, he sought the opinion of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court under Article 106 of the Constitution. Based on that advice, he formed the interim government.
He said his actions had helped avert a constitutional breakdown and preserve democratic continuity until the current elected government assumed office after the general election.
Shahabuddin, however, stressed that his deteriorating health was the principal reason for his resignation.
The president said he had long suffered from heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and kidney complications. He had previously undergone bypass surgery and was recently diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy, a condition that occasionally causes him to lose consciousness.
Citing his declining physical and mental condition and the need for long-term treatment, Shahabuddin said he was no longer capable of discharging the duties of the presidency and had therefore resigned under Article 50(3) of the Constitution.
At the press briefing, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed dismissed speculation surrounding the resignation, saying the president had clearly stated that serious health problems were the sole reason for stepping down.
"The president has been suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney complications and autonomic neuropathy. It had become impossible for him to continue performing the demanding constitutional responsibilities of the office. Despite various political discussions, the actual reason is his health," the Speaker said.
Wishing Shahabuddin a speedy recovery, the Speaker also said the outgoing president had maintained a cooperative relationship with the current government despite the country's changing political landscape.
Events leading up to the resignation
Several senior sources said preparations for the President's resignation had been underway for several days.
Officials at Bangabhaban said Shahabuddin had already decided to step down. Some of his close aides had begun packing his personal belongings, while verbal instructions had reportedly been issued for him to vacate the presidential residence by the end of the month.
According to the sources, he is expected to move to his private residence in Gulshan before travelling abroad for advanced medical treatment.
Meanwhile, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed returned to Bangladesh on Friday morning, cutting short his medical trip to Thailand. Although no official explanation was given for his early return, officials familiar with the matter believed it was linked to the anticipated constitutional transition.
Alleged phone conversation at the centre of controversy
Another issue that drew widespread attention was Shahabuddin's alleged telephone conversation with ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina while he was in London for medical treatment in May this year.
According to multiple sources, Shahabuddin spoke with Hasina sometime between May 9 and May 18, after which intelligence agencies reportedly became aware of the communication. The sources further claimed that senior BNP leaders subsequently conveyed a message urging him to resign.
However, a senior BNP leader said the alleged phone conversation was not the only factor behind the resignation and that broader political considerations were also involved.
A senior BNP leader, however, said the alleged phone conversation was not the sole factor behind the resignation, adding that broader political considerations had also played a role.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Thursday, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the president was constitutionally entitled to resign on health grounds or for any other constitutional reason. He added that the government had no information regarding any conversation between Shahabuddin and Sheikh Hasina.
A rare constitutional milestone
Mohammed Shahabuddin is the only president in Bangladesh's history to have administered the oath of office to three different governments within a span of three years.
He first administered the oath to the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in 2024. Following the student-led uprising, he swore in the interim government headed by Professor Muhammad Yunus on August 8, 2024.
Most recently, on February 17, 2026, at the South Plaza of the National Parliament Bhaban, he administered the oath of office to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his cabinet.
The sequence is widely regarded as an unprecedented chapter in Bangladesh's constitutional history.
