Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigns over health concerns

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin submitted his resignation on 24 July 2026, citing serious health problems. He disclosed a diagnosis of autonomic neuropathy that can cause brief loss of consciousness, stating, “I am seriously ill … therefore I am unable to perform my duty of the constitutional post.”

The resignation was presented in a letter to Parliament Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, who accepted it and assumed the duties of interim president as prescribed by the Bangladeshi constitution. A new president must be elected within 90 days.

The move comes amid ongoing political turbulence after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024 and fled to India. Bangladeshi media reported that Shahabuddin had spoken with Hasina during a medical trip to London in May, a claim the president denied. Opposition parties and student groups had previously called for his departure, branding him a close ally of the former prime minister.