Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigns

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on Friday, July 24, 2026, leaving office about two years before his five-year term was due to end. Shahabuddin, 76, attributed the decision to health problems, saying through his office that medical tests had found autonomic neuropathy, a condition he said can cause brief episodes of unconsciousness.

According to the report, Shahabuddin submitted his resignation to Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, who accepted it. The president’s spokesperson said the resignation took effect once the signed letter was delivered to the speaker, as provided under Bangladesh’s constitution. The speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad, the national parliament, is to carry out presidential functions until a successor is chosen, and a new president must be elected within 90 days.

The resignation comes during political pressure from opposition parties calling for Shahabuddin to leave office. Al Jazeera also cited media reports, including from Dhaka-based The Daily Star, that he had spoken by phone with ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while he was in the United Kingdom for medical treatment in May. Shahabuddin denied that report and told The Daily Star he was dealing with several health complications.

Shahabuddin had served as president since April 2023. His tenure included the turbulent period after Hasina was removed from power by youth-led protests in August 2024 and before a caretaker government was formed. The presidency in Bangladesh is largely ceremonial, with executive authority held by the prime minister and cabinet, but the vacancy adds uncertainty ahead of Hasina’s expected return from exile in India, as reported by Reuters.