Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin is reportedly on the verge of resignation, with multiple local media outlets citing sources on Thursday, 23 July as saying he could step down as early as 31 July. Shahabuddin, who took office in April 2023, is the only senior constitutional officeholder to have remained in position since the mass demonstrations of July 2024.

The Phone Call That Triggered the Crisis

According to The Daily Star, Bangladesh's leading English-language daily, Shahabuddin held a telephonic conversation with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while he was in London for medical treatment in May 2025. Intelligence agencies reportedly became aware of the call, following which the President was asked to step down.

However, a senior leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) told Times of Bangladesh that the phone call was not the sole factor behind the anticipated resignation, describing the matter as 'more complex.'

What the President Has Said

Shahabuddin himself, when contacted by Times of Bangladesh, did not rule out the possibility of resigning but declined to elaborate further over the phone. A source close to the President told the same outlet that he is expected to resign by 31 July and subsequently relocate to his Gulshan residence in Dhaka.

In an earlier interview with Bangladeshi Bengali daily Kaler Kantho at Bangabhaban — his official residence in Dhaka — Shahabuddin had alleged that attempts were made to overthrow him during the tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. 'During those one and a half years, I have not been in any discussion, yet various conspiracies are being hatched against me. There have been many attempts to permanently destroy the peace and order of the country and create a constitutional vacuum,' he stated.

When asked whether those efforts succeeded, Shahabuddin said: 'I was steadfast in my decision. That is why no conspiracy succeeded. Especially the numerous plots to overthrow the President through unconstitutional means have failed. As a result, the experience of one and a half years at Bangabhaban cannot be said to be good. I don't know whether anyone else had the strength to withstand the storm that has passed over me.'

The Broader Political Context

This development comes amid the BNP-led government's intensifying crackdown on leaders associated with the Awami League. Shahabuddin's reported resignation, if confirmed, would mark another seismic shift in a political landscape that has been in flux since the July 2024 protests upended the previous order.

Notably, Shahabuddin had previously alleged that he was deliberately excluded from key policy discussions during the interim government's one-and-a-half-year tenure — a claim that underscores the deep institutional tensions within Bangladesh's transitional governance structure.

What Happens Next

A presidential resignation before 31 July would trigger a constitutional process to appoint or elect a successor, the contours of which remain unclear given Bangladesh's current political dynamics. The development is being closely watched by regional observers and diplomatic missions in Dhaka, as it could further reshape the country's fragile institutional balance.