Protesters in Bangladesh have surrounded the presidential palace, Banga Bhaban, calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Shahabuddin, following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation in August 2024. The demonstrations are being led by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, which has issued a five-point demand, including the president’s ousting and the abolition of the 1972 constitution.
The student-led protests, which initially focused on ending a government job quota system, have expanded in scope. At a rally earlier in Dhaka, protesters demanded the disbanding of the Awami League’s student wing, Bangladesh Chatra League, and the establishment of a new constitution that aligns with the current political landscape.
Tensions escalated as protesters attempted to march towards the presidential palace, where they were met with barricades set up by the military. Demonstrators chanted against President Shahabuddin, accusing him of being a supporter of Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian government. Shahabuddin, who became president in 2023 under Awami League nomination, has been a focal point of opposition since Hasina’s resignation.
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Sheikh Hasina, who stepped down as prime minister on August 5, fled to India and has since faced difficulties in securing asylum. Reports indicate that her visa to the United States was canceled, and the UK has denied her request for political asylum. Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the head of an interim government on August 8, but political unrest continues, with protesters demanding that the 2018 and 2024 elections be declared void and that Members of Parliament be disqualified.
