Bangladesh which saw huge protests leading to the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina witnessed another major agitation on Tuesday as protesters sieged Banga Bhaban, the presidential palace, demanding the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin. Late at night, the protestors moved towards Banga Bhaban however, the army blocked them with the barricades.
The students, subsequently, took a stand outside the Banga Bhaban and started chanting slogans demanding Shahabuddin's resignation. Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, the group led to oust Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, announced 5-point demands, including the resignation of the President, at a rally in central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
"The President is a crony of Hasina's authoritarian government. He must resign immediately", a protester said. Natively known as Chuppu, Mohammed Shahabuddin is the 16th President of Bangladesh. He is a jurist, civil servant and politician and was elected unopposed in the 2023 presidential election in the nomination of the Awami League.
Protesters present fresh 5 point demands
Other than the President's resignation, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement has demanded the abolition of the constitution written in 1972. They called for writing a new constitution in the context of 2024. Protestors have also called for banning Awami League's student organization Bangladesh Chatra League.
Protestors also asked that the elections held in 2018 and 2024 under Sheikh Hasina must be declared illegal and MPs who secured victory in these elections should be disqualified. They have called for announcing the Proclamation of the Republic in keeping with the spirit of the July-August uprising.
Notably, the protests erupted in July in Bangladesh against the quota system for government jobs. Gradually, it took the shape of anti-government protests. On August 5, Sheikh Hasina tendered her resignation as Bangladesh's PM in the wake of mounting protests, followed by the establishment of an interim government. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed. On August 8, Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of Bangladesh's interim government.
(With ANI Inputs)
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