Govt to take decision on President after discussion with political parties

The interim government will take decision on whether the President Mohammed Shahabuddin would remain in his post or not based on discussion with political parties.

The decision was made at a meeting of the advisory council chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus today, Thursday.

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the adviser for forest, environment and climate change affairs, told Prothom Alo that the government has already started dialogue with political parties on the President issue. The decision will be made based on the outcome of the meetings.

Amid the discussion over the President’s fate, three leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on Wednesday held a meeting with chief adviser to the interim government at the state guesthouse Jamuna in Dhaka. The party does not want the President's resignation right now as it thinks the vacuum in the President post will create a constitutional and political crisis.

A political magazine recently published a news article where President Shahabuddin was attributed to say that he does not have any documentary evidence of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. After that, protests ensued in different quarters demanding the removal of the President.

Students Against Discrimination held protests in Dhaka and elsewhere demanding removal of the President on Tuesday. Protesters under the banner of Inqilab Mancha also staged a demonstration in front of Bangabhaban, the president's official residence on Tuesday night.

Earlier on Monday law adviser Asif Nazrul said the statement of President Mohammed Shahabuddin regarding the resignation letter of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the student-people movement is a “lie” and akin to violating his oath of office.

Asif Nazrul elaborated his stance further saying that the President himself, along with the chiefs of the three services, 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.

Amid the discussion, some news reports claimed that the government considered different options for the post as the debate intensified. News reports also claimed that Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed turned down a proposal of taking the top office.

However, the matter was discussed at the advisory council for the first time today. Several advisers said there are pressures from the students for the resignation of the President while some political parties differ. These political parties maintain that removing the President would create a constitutional crisis.