Bangladesh Chief Justice resigns after protesters issue one-hour ultimatum
Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan was appointed to helm the Supreme Court last year and is seen as a loyalist to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Dhaka: In a fresh outbreak of stir in Bangladesh, protesters gathered on the Supreme Court premises and issued an ultimatum to the Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and judges of the Appellate Division to resign by 1 pm on Saturday.
Following this, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan has decided, in principle, to step down from his post, The Daily Star reported.
Earlier, the protesters threatened to besiege the residences of Chief Justice and judges of the Appellate Division if their demands were not met.
University students shout slogans during a protest to demand justice for the victims killed in the recent countrywide deadly clashes and ask for their campuses to be opened, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 31, 2024.
Earlier in the morning, Asif Mahmud, the adviser of Youth and Sports Ministry of the Interim government, posted on the Facebook, demanding unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and stop the full court meeting, The Daily Star said.
Obaidul Hassan, who was appointed to helm the Supreme Court last year and is seen as a loyalist to ousted premier Sheikh Hasina, was told to step down by protesters who gathered outside the court in the capital Dhaka.
An interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Muhammad Yunus took charge of the violence-hit country on Thursday vowing to fix the law and order situation.
Nation wide protests rocked the country following the former prime minister Hasina-led government’s violent crackdown on protesting students that led to the death of more than 400 people, including students and police personnel.
Hasina, accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the jailing of political opponents, was forced to flee the country as the protests led by students stormed into government buildings and vandalised national monuments. She has been given refuge in India while the UK and the US have rejected her appeal for asylum.
Hasina is expected to stay in India, “as long as she wants,” according to sources from the External Affairs Ministry of India.
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