Asia24 July, 20262 min read
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin Resigns, Citing Health Issues, Submits Letter to Hafiz Uddin Ahmed
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Shahabuddin resigns amid serious health issues. Submitted resignation letter to the National Assembly speaker.
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Shahabuddin resigns Friday
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on Friday, citing serious health issues, and the resignation was submitted to Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed. NDTV Profit reported that Shahabuddin, 76, said in a statement that he had been diagnosed with a condition known as Autonomic Neuropathy and that he occasionally experiences momentary loss of consciousness.
The Hindu said Shahabuddin resigned from his post on Friday (July 24, 2026) and that in his letter he cited heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney complications. ABC News reported that Shahabuddin submitted his resignation on Friday to Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, citing medical reasons, and that the speaker accepted the resignation at a news briefing later on Friday.
Interim handover and timing
Multiple outlets said that under Bangladesh’s constitution, the speaker of parliament would discharge the duties of the presidency until a new president is elected, after Shahabuddin’s resignation. TRT World reported that Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed accepted his resignation and that Ahmed will take the duty as interim president of Bangladesh, and a new president must be elected within the next 90 days.
BBC said the resignation letter was submitted to the speaker of parliament, Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, and that the speaker would be discharging the duties of the president until a new leader is elected. ABC News added that if the president resigns, the speaker of Parliament automatically takes over the post on an interim basis until a new president is elected by lawmakers.
Pressure, Hasina return
The resignation was framed by several reports as occurring amid political pressure and concerns about Sheikh Hasina’s return, with BBC saying Shahabuddin faced pressure to resign from leaders of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party. BBC reported that sources told BBC Bangla that Shahabuddin had been under pressure to resign and that several officials from the president's office said Shahabuddin signed his resignation letter on Friday afternoon.
ABC News said a new government headed by Tarique Rahman came to power with a landslide victory in February after 18 months of interim rule under Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, and it described Hasina’s flight to India in August 2024 after an anti-government movement ended her 15-year rule. The Times of India reported that Shahabuddin’s resignation came just days after Hasina announced that she plans to return to Bangladesh in December and surrender following her conviction by a war crimes tribunal, and it said the government had asked him to step down because of his longstanding association with Hasina.