Can Hasina still be considered Bangladesh’s ‘legitimate’ premier? President’s remarks sparks storm

About two-and-a-half months after Sheikh Hasina was ousted as Bangladesh’s prime minister and fled the country amid a student-led uprising, a new controversy has emerged. Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahbuddin told a Bangladeshi newspaper that he never actually received Hasina’s resignation letter.

This raises questions about whether Hasina can still be considered the country’s legitimate prime minister, despite the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Mohammad Yunus taking over. It also puts President Shahbuddin on a tight spot, as he had previously stated publicly that he had accepted Hasina’s resignation.

Since Hasina’s ouster on August 5, Shahbuddin, who had been appointed by her government, has been under pressure as calls for his resignation have grown. Many believe that a head of state appointed by a regime that many have labelled as “fascist” should not remain in power after a popular uprising.

On Monday, Asif Nazrul, the legal advisor to the Yunus-led interim government, said that President Shahbuddin was “dishonest” for claiming he had not received Hasina’s resignation.

The advisor recalled that Shahbuddin had confirmed Hasina’s resignation in a national address alongside military leaders on August 5.

Nazrul explained that after Hasina’s resignation, the appellate division of the Supreme Court was consulted to determine how government formation should proceed. Acknowledging the resignation, the chief justice at...

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