Bangladesh chief justice resigns after protesters give ultimatum, surround court
Bangladesh Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan has reportedly decided to resign after hundreds of protesters surrounded the Supreme Court premises in Dhaka on Saturday. The protesters issued an ultimatum to the chief justice and other judges of the Appellate Division to step down by 1:00pm local time. The crowd, consisting of several hundred protesters, including students and lawyers, began gathering around 10:30am after the chief justice convened a full-court meeting without consulting the newly-established interim government.
Hassan to tender resignation after consulting President
According to The Dhaka Tribune, Hassan will tender his resignation after consulting President Mohammed Shahabuddin later in the day. Protesters had threatened to besiege judges' residences if they failed to resign before the deadline, The Daily Star reported. The protesters alleged that the judges of the court are part of a conspiracy, prompting outrage and demands for accountability. As tensions mounted, the scheduled full-court meeting was abruptly called off.
Another coordinator warns of dire consequences
Earlier in the morning, Asif Mahmud, adviser of Youth and Sports Ministry of the Interim government, had posted on Facebook demanding an unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and a stop to the full court meeting. Another coordinator of the student movement, Hasnat Abdullah, said, "We had already called for the chief justice's resignation. If they take a stance against the students and incite them, they will have to face dire consequences."
Hassan was appointed as Chief Justice last year
Hassan was appointed as Chief Justice last year and is seen as a loyalist to ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina had resigned as prime minister and fled to neighboring India on Monday, under pressure from hundreds of protesters demanding her resignation over a government job quota scheme. The policy reserved 30% of government jobs for descendants of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan—the majority of whom are affiliated with her Awami League party.
At least 450 people were killed in protests
At least 450 people were killed in more than a month of deadly protests that ended the autocratic rule of 76-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. An interim government was appointed in Bangladesh on Thursday, led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Bank governor Abdur Rouf Talukder also resigned days after protesters stormed the central bank's headquarters amid political upheaval in the country. Talukder resigned as governor on Friday, citing "personal reasons."
