DHAKA: Bangladesh’s President Mohammed Shahabuddin faced growing pressure on Monday to quit from leaders of the revolution that toppled autocratic ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August, who argue he was her appointee.

Shahabuddin, 74, widely known as “Chuppu”, was elected by parliament in 2023 by Hasina’s now ousted Awami League, but while the post is largely ceremonial, his potential removal from the role has sparked fears of a constitutional vacuum.

“Any decision regarding the removal of the president will be based on political consensus,” Shafiqul Alam, press adviser to the interim government that replaced Hasina, said on Monday. The interim government is led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus as its “chief adviser”.

Government spokeswoman Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a minister in Yunus’s cabinet, said there is “an ongoing discussion regarding the removal” of Shahabuddin. “It must be considered whether a government formed after a revolution should retain a president who was selected by a fascist government,” Hasan told reporters on Sunday.

“The demand for his removal stems from claims that he does not align with the spirit of the movement.” Earlier this month Shahabuddin sparked furious protests after he said he had never seen a resignation letter from Hasina — raising the prospect her departure was unlawful.

Soon after, Asif Nazrul, a student protest leader now serving in Yunus’s government, charged that the comments were a “violation of his oath of office”.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2024