Dhaka: Asif Nazrul, legal advisor in the Mohammad Yunus-led interim government of Bangladesh, has accused Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin of lying about Sheikh Hasina‘s resignation. Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin has said that he does not have any document which shows that Sheikh Hasina had resigned from the post of PM before leaving the country on August 5. This claim of Shahabuddin is being discussed a lot in Bangladesh and people are saying that Sheikh Hasina had not resigned. After Shahabuddin’s statement, it is also being discussed whether Sheikh Hasina is still the PM of Bangladesh constitutionally. Sheikh Hasina’s son has also said similar thing. Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin said in an interview with Bangla Daily, ‘I have heard that Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister before leaving Bangladesh amid student protests. But I don’t have any documentary proof of this. I did not receive the resignation document despite several attempts. It is also possible that he did not get time to resign. After the interview came to light, legal advisor Asif Nazrul has accused Mohammad Shahabuddin of lying.
Asif called the President’s statement contradictory
Law advisor Asif Nazrul says that President Shahabuddin is saying contradictory things. Nazrul referred to Shahabuddin’s address to the nation on August 5, hours after Hasina left Bangladesh, in which he had said that Sheikh Hasina has submitted her resignation letter to me and it has been accepted. Nazrul said that if the President is contradicting his own public statement then it would be called misconduct. This raises questions about his ability to continue in office as President. In the Advisory Council meeting, there will be a discussion on whether Shahabuddin is fit to continue in the post.
Bangladesh President Shahabuddin, recalling the August 5 incident during an interview with Manab Zameen, said, ‘At 10.30 in the morning I received a call from Sheikh Hasina’s residence, informing me that she would meet her. An hour later the call came again, saying that she was not coming. After some time, I heard that Hasina had left the country without informing me.
Shahabuddin further said that we came to know that Hasina has resigned but perhaps she did not get time to inform us. A few days later, when the Cabinet Secretary came to collect the copy of his resignation letter, I told him that I was also looking for it. Shahabuddin’s comments support the statement made some time ago by Hasina’s son Sajeeb Joy, in which he had said that his mother had not officially resigned. In such a situation, according to the constitution, she is the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.