In a dramatic escalation of political unrest, protesters in Bangladesh have laid siege to the presidential palace, Banga Bhaban, calling for the immediate resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin.
The demonstration, spearheaded by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, comes amid widespread discontent with the current administration.
Earlier on Tuesday, the student-led movement held a mass rally at Dhaka’s iconic Shaheed Minar, where they unveiled a five-point list of demands, the most prominent being President Shahabuddin’s resignation. The movement, which played a key role in the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August, is calling for a complete overhaul of Bangladesh’s political system.
As night fell, protesters marched toward Banga Bhaban, only to be met with military barricades. Despite the show of force, demonstrators gathered outside the palace, chanting slogans condemning Shahabuddin. "The President is a crony of Hasina’s authoritarian regime. He must resign immediately," one protester told local media.
Mohammed Shahabuddin, widely known as "Chuppu," has been serving as Bangladesh’s 16th president since being elected unopposed in 2023, with the backing of the Awami League. However, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement has accused him of being complicit in the alleged autocratic governance of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and they are now pushing for sweeping constitutional reforms.
Among their demands is the abolition of the 1972 constitution, which they argue is outdated, and the drafting of a new one that aligns with the political realities of 2024. The protesters also called for the banning of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, and the disqualification of all Members of Parliament elected in the controversial 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections held under Hasina’s leadership.
In a historic twist, the movement is urging the interim government to declare a "Proclamation of the Republic" in the spirit of the recent July-August uprisings, which saw massive mobilizations against the government.
The protests, initially sparked in July over demands to abolish the quota system in government job recruitment, have since transformed into a broader anti-government movement. The pressure culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 76, who fled to India on August 5.
Following her departure, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of an interim government on August 8, tasked with overseeing a political transition.