President asks not to create controversy on settled issue

President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Monday urged against creating new controversies regarding the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He also called on everyone to refrain from destabilising or embarrassing the interim government by raising any controversies.

This statement was issued by the Office of the President on Monday.

It said various media quoted the president in their reports on the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and that arose controversy among people.

The president clarifies that answers to all types of questions among people on resignation of Sheikh Hasina and her leaving the country in the face of student-people mass uprising, dissolution of parliament and constitutional legitimacy have been reflected in the Appellate Division’s order, the press statement added.

The president sought the opinions of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court as per article 106 of the constitution.

The Appellate Division gave the opinion that the interim government could be formed and advisers could be sworn in. Later, the advisers led by Dr Muhammad Yunus took the oath of their office on 8 August.

Prior to this, a student-people movement ousted the Awami League government and Sheikh Hasina fled to India on 5 August.

In a report, Manabzamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury quoted president Mohammed Shahabuddin as saying he had heard Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of prime minister, but he had no documentary evidence to support this.

Replying to queries from the newspersons on this matter at his secretariat office on Monday, law, justice and parliamentary affairs adviser Asif Nazrul said the statement of president Mohammed Shahabuddin about the resignation letter of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the student-people movement is a “lie.”

He said, “The president said that he did not receive the resignation letter of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. This is a lie and akin to violating his oath of office. This is because he himself, with the chiefs of the three services behind him, in his address to the nation at 11:20 pm on 5 August said the former prime minister submitted her resignation letter to him and he received the letter.”

The advisers of the interim government may discuss whether he has the capacity to remain as the president if sticks to his statement, he added.