I have no documentary evidence of Sheikh Hasina’s resignation: President Shahabuddin

President Md. Shahabuddin said he has heard that Sheikh Hasina has resigned from the position of Prime Minister, but he has no documentary evidence of it. The President stated, “Despite my many efforts, I have failed to obtain the resignation letter. She might not have had the time.”

During a conversation with Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the editor-in-chief of Daily Manab Zamin, the President mentioned these points when asked about the resignation letter of the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The conversation was published yesterday, Sunday, in the political magazine ‘Janatar Chokh’ of the newspaper.

Amid an unprecedented mass uprising, Sheikh Hasina took refuge in India on August 5. According to Article 57(a) of the Constitution, “The office of the Prime Minister shall become vacant if he/she submits a resignation letter to the President at any time.”

In the conversation, the President said, “On the morning of August 5, around 10:30 AM, a call came from the Prime Minister’s residence to Bangabhaban. It was said that the Honorable Prime Minister would come to Bangabhaban to meet the Honorable President. Preparations began immediately at Bangabhaban. Within an hour, another call came saying she would not be coming.”

President Md. Shahabuddin told Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the editor-in-chief of Daily Manab Zamin, ‘Despite my many efforts, I have failed to obtain the resignation letter. He might not have had the time.

The President further mentioned, “There were reports of unrest everywhere. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I couldn’t rely on rumors, so I asked Military Secretary General Adil to investigate. He had no information either. We were waiting and watching the television scrolls, but there was no news anywhere.”

At one point, the President said he received news that Sheikh Hasina had left the country, adding, “She didn’t inform me of anything. I am telling you (Matiur Rahman Chowdhury) the truth. When the Army Chief General Waqar came to Bangabhaban, I tried to find out if the Prime Minister had resigned. The same answer: I heard she had resigned. It seems she didn’t have the time to inform.”

The President continued, “When everything was under control, one day the Cabinet Secretary came to collect a copy of the resignation letter. I told him I was also looking for it.”

Regarding the matter, the President told Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, “There is no more debate about this. The Prime Minister has left, that is the truth. However, to ensure that this question never arises again, I sought the opinion of the Supreme Court. Based on the reference sent by the Supreme Court, on August 8, the Appellate Division led by the then Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan gave this opinion. It stated that to eliminate constitutional vacancies and to ensure the smooth functioning of the executive branch, an interim government could be formed, and the President could be allowed to administer the oath to the Chief Advisor and other advisors of the interim government.”