HomeInternational NewsBangladesh Supreme Court Chief Justice Considers Resignation Amid Protests

Bangladesh Supreme Court Chief Justice Considers Resignation Amid Protests

The chief justice of Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has expressed a willingness to resign “in principle” following an ultimatum from protesters. This development comes just days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country for neighboring India.

Obaidul Hassan, who was appointed as the head of the Supreme Court last year and is known as a loyalist to Hasina, was called to step down by protesters gathered outside the court in the capital, Dhaka, on Saturday. According to Al Jazeera reporter Tanvir Chowdhury, students took to the streets upon hearing news that Hassan was meeting with judges in the Appellate Division. “They perceived this as an imminent judicial coup, so they quickly gathered at the Supreme Court and demanded his immediate resignation,” Chowdhury reported.

A formal letter confirming Hassan’s decision to step down is expected after consultations with President Mohammed Shahabuddin. The students believe that the Supreme Court is heavily politicized and are also calling for the resignation of the other seven members.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 76 years old, left the country by helicopter for India on Monday. Her government has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including the extrajudicial killings of thousands of her political opponents. Hassan has faced criticism for his role in leading a war crimes commission that ordered the execution of Hasina’s adversaries.

The sudden political upheaval has also forced several high-ranking officials to resign, including the head of the national police and the governor of the central bank. On Friday, Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder announced his resignation, citing personal reasons. Protesters had stormed the central bank’s headquarters amid the political unrest that has led to the end of Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Muhammad Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work with microfinance, is now leading a transitional government, which was also a demand from the students. The economist has taken on the role of “chief advisor” for a caretaker administration consisting of civilians, with the exception of one retired brigadier general. He has stated his intention to hold elections “within a few months.”

On Saturday, Yunus called for religious unity while embracing the grieving mother of the first student who was shot by police during anti-government protests last month. “Do not differentiate by religion,” he told reporters. “Our responsibility is to build a new Bangladesh.”

Regarding the 25-year-old Abu Sayeed, who was killed, Yunus remarked: “He is now ‘in every home.’ The way he stood up, we must also do.” He paid his respects alongside members of the advisory cabinet, adding: “There are no differences in Abu Sayeed’s Bangladesh.”

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