POBNEWS24, Dhaka, July 24, 2026 : Bangladesh President Md. Shahabuddin submitted his resignation to Speaker of the National Assembly Hafiz Uddin Ahmed on Friday due to serious health reasons. The Speaker accepted the resignation at 5:01 pm
A notice signed by the President’s Press Secretary Md. Sarwar Alam gave this information at around 5:01 pm on Friday.
The notice said that in his resignation letter signed to the Speaker, the President mentioned, ‘I am seriously ill. I am suffering from heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney complications. I have undergone bypass surgery on my heart. Recently, a health check-up has identified a disease called autonomic neuropathy. Due to this disease, I sometimes lose consciousness for a moment. Due to the outbreak of diseases, physical and mental incapacity makes it impossible for me to perform the duties of an important constitutional post like the President. I need long-term medical treatment.’
The President also wrote, ‘In such circumstances, I am resigning from the office of the President in accordance with the provisions of Article 50(3) of the Constitution.’
According to Article 54 of the Constitution, the Speaker of the National Assembly shall perform the duties of the President until a new President is elected and assumes office.
It is to be noted that Md. Shahabuddin assumed office as the 22nd President of Bangladesh on April 24, 2023.
Meanwhile, after his resignation, Speaker of Bangladesh Hafiz Uddin Ahmed has assumed the acting duties of the President.
Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed announced the acceptance of the President’s resignation in a briefing at the swearing-in hall of the Parliament House at 5:30 pm on Friday.
The Speaker said, ‘The President has resigned from his post in accordance with the provisions of Article 50(3) of the Constitution. According to Article 54 of the Constitution, I have taken the responsibility of the President as the Speaker of the National Assembly until a new President is elected and takes office.’
Hafiz Uddin Ahmed said, ‘When I took the oath of the Speaker, I took the oath of the Acting President. If the post of the President becomes vacant for any reason, I can perform the duties of the Acting President. At the same time, it was said during the oath of the Deputy Speaker that if the post of the Speaker becomes vacant for any reason, he will perform the duties of the Acting Speaker.’
The Speaker also mentioned that the President resigned due to physical illness.
On April 24, 2023, 75-year-old Md. Sahabuddin took office as the 22nd President of the country during the Awami League (programs prohibited) government. According to the constitutional rules, his term was supposed to last until April 2028.
There have been rumors about the resignation of President Md. Sahabuddin for two days. However, the government has not directly acknowledged the matter. In the meantime, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed went to Thailand for medical treatment. He returned to the country two days before the scheduled tour schedule today.
Elections will have to be held within 90 days of the office of the President becoming vacant due to resignation. According to the Constitution of Bangladesh, the Election Commission has the sole authority to announce the schedule for the presidential election. Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Machud told this representative that in such a situation, the schedule for the presidential election will be announced quickly.
EC Abdur Rahmanel Machud said, ‘According to Article 123 of the Constitution, a new President will have to be elected within 90 days of the office of the President becoming vacant. He resigned today (July 24). InshaAllah, the election will be held within 90 days as per the Presidential Election Act-1991. The Chief Election Commissioner himself will be the Returning Officer.’
According to the existing constitution, 350 members of parliament are voters in the presidential election. The EC will prepare the voter list accordingly. The election schedule will then be announced. EC Abdur Rahmanel Machud said that the schedule for the presidential election will be announced like the election for the reserved women’s seats. After that, the vote will be held, and if there is a single candidate, the winner will be declared uncontested.
The EC will decide on the schedule for the presidential election on or after next Sunday. Abdur Rahmanel Machud said in this regard, “The schedule for the presidential election will be announced very soon.”
Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in the July 2024 mass uprising, there has been discussion and debate in the political arena about Md. Sahabuddin’s continued tenure as president. After the BNP came to power through the 13th National Parliament election, discussions about his future intensified. Ultimately, his resignation led to a change in the highest constitutional position of the state.
76-year-old Mohammad Sahabuddin was elected president uncontested for a five-year term on the nomination of the Awami League in 2023. Although the post of president is constitutionally largely ceremonial, his role gained special importance after the political changes of 2024.
