What Is Happening Behind the Scenes?

At last, President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who was nominated by the Awami League government, is set to resign within hours.

Put more simply, he has been compelled to step down following instructions from the government.

His resignation comes just before the arrival of U.S. Special Envoy Sergio Gor, who is scheduled to visit Bangladesh from 30 July for a three-day trip. Gor, who also serves as the U.S. Ambassador to India, is expected to hold a series of important meetings. While there is no confirmed direct connection between these two developments, both carry significant political weight in the current Bangladeshi context.

Mohammed Shahabuddin was sworn in as Bangladesh’s 22nd President on 24 April 2023 after being elected unopposed as the Awami League’s nominee.

As the country’s highest constitutional officeholder, he has served for approximately three years and three months. His five-year constitutional term was due to expire in April 2028.

However, Bangladesh’s political landscape changed dramatically following the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August 2024.

After the mass uprising, student leaders demanded Shahabuddin’s removal. Several organisations associated with the July movement organised demonstrations, including attempts to surround Bangabhaban, demanding his resignation. Nevertheless, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus did not take steps to remove him.

Following the subsequent parliamentary elections, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) formed the government, creating an unusual political arrangement in which the President and the government originated from opposing political backgrounds. Although Shahabuddin had been elected under the Awami League administration, the BNP government initially chose not to remove him.

Since the change of government, however, political speculation regarding the President’s future continued.

Last week, the BNP reportedly conveyed a message that the President should step down. Shortly afterwards, Shahabuddin decided to resign.

This raises an important question: why did the BNP, after maintaining a cordial relationship with the President following its assumption of office, ask him to leave only five months later?

In an interview, Shahabuddin claimed that he had been subjected to humiliation and disrespect during the Yunus administration.

According to the outgoing President, following the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024, there were deliberate efforts by Dr Yunus to remove him and disrupt constitutional continuity. He alleged that the government interfered in the affairs of the President’s Office and excluded him from major state decisions.

He also claimed that the interim administration prevented him from travelling abroad, dismantled Bangabhaban’s press team, and even barred him from participating in Eid prayers.

The situation, however, reportedly changed after the BNP assumed office.

The President and the Prime Minister were seen together during observances on 21 February, 26 March, and Eid prayers. Shahabuddin also delivered the customary presidential address at the opening session of Parliament and was later granted permission by the BNP government to travel to London for advanced medical treatment.

Following his return from London, however, relations between the President and the government reportedly deteriorated.

The English-language newspaper The Daily Star claimed that while in London, Shahabuddin had spoken by telephone with Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India. Shahabuddin has categorically dismissed the report as beyond imagination.

According to the author, independent inquiries found the newspaper’s claim to be false and without factual basis.

The article further argues that the BNP’s concerns intensified following Sheikh Hasina’s announcement expressing her intention to return to Bangladesh.

According to multiple unnamed sources cited by the author, Sheikh Hasina proposed to U.S. Special Envoy Sergio Gor the formation of a caretaker government under President Shahabuddin to oversee fresh national elections.

The author claims that the United States subsequently sought the BNP government’s views regarding this proposal. It was at this point, the article argues, that suspicion and mistrust emerged.

According to the author’s assessment, the BNP concluded that there was a connection between Sheikh Hasina’s planned return and President Shahabuddin, ultimately leading to the decision to remove him. The government is therefore said to be acting swiftly so that Bangladesh has a new President before Sergio Gor arrives.

Sergio Gor is expected to arrive in Bangladesh on 30 July on what the author describes as a political mission.

According to the article, one of the key issues expected to be discussed is the justification for maintaining the ban on the Awami League. The author further claims that the United States intends to communicate its concerns regarding the alleged misuse of crimes against humanity charges, arbitrary detentions, and violations of the rule of law.

The article also contends that Washington is expected to express concern over what it describes as the BNP government’s increasingly China-oriented foreign policy.

The author argues that the United States and India are working together to counter China’s expanding economic influence in South Asia while also sharing a common objective of preventing extremist groups from gaining strength in the region. As a result, the author believes policy differences between Washington and New Delhi regarding Bangladesh have narrowed considerably.

The article concludes by asserting that both India and the United States now favour the continued political participation of the Awami League.

Against this backdrop, the author describes Sergio Gor’s visit as a major challenge for the BNP government. According to the analysis, by replacing the President before the envoy’s arrival, the government hopes to gain a strategic advantage.

The author ends by posing a broader political question: Has the BNP genuinely strengthened its position through the President’s resignation, or has this development inadvertently opened a new path for the Awami League’s return to mainstream politics?

Author: Senior Journalist