Amid intensified protests from students, chief justice of Bangladesh agreed to resign ‘in principle’ after pressure mounted from agitators surrounding the Supreme Court, broadcaster Jamuna TV reported on Saturday. Notably, Obaidul Hassan agreed to resign after an ultimatum was issued to do so from the demonstrators. Hassan was appointed as chief justice in Supreme Court last year and is being seen as a loyalist to ousted PM Sheikh Hasina.
Thousands of protesters, mainly comprising students, surrounded the Bangladesh Supreme Court on Saturday and demanded the resignation of the Chief Justice. The protests further intensified after reports suggested that the Chief Justice fled the premises before announcing his resignation.
Why Obaidul Hassan resigned?
The whole episode was sparked by a full-court meeting called by the Chief Justice without consulting the newly formed interim government. The agitators alleged that the judges of the court are part of a conspiracy which prompted outrage and demand for accountability. After tension further prevailed, the scheduled full-court meeting was abruptly called off.
Who Is Obaidul Hassan?
Obaidul Hassan was appointed last year and he is being seen as a loyalist to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Born on 11 January 1959, Obaidul Hassan is a jurist who served as the 24th chief justice of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh and he also served as the president of the Inquiry Committee for the formation of Bangladesh Election Commission.
His father was Akhlakul Hossain Ahmed, a member of East Pakistan Provincial Assembly, and his mother was Begum Hosne Ara Hossain.
He completed his undergraduate and graduate courses in Economics from the University of Dhaka and then completed his law degree from the University of Dhaka.
The month-long protests, part of the wider unrest that led to Hasina's departure, have led to over 450 deaths, including dozens of police officers.
Muhammad Yunus urges for peace
In the meantime, Bangladesh's interim head of the government Muhammad Yunus urged for peace and unity amid violent protests in the country. These protests came days after a student-led uprising against the Bangaldesh government hiring rules resulted in Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus taking charge of a caretaker government.
In the protests and violence, over 450 people were killed in more than a month of deadly protests that ended the rule of 76-year-old prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
In the wake of these developments, Sheikh Hasina, who is one of Asia's longest-serving leaders, resigned and fled Bangladesh on August 5 under pressure from of protesters who had taken to the streets for weeks to demand her resignation.
