Student Leaders Seek Political Resolution on the President's Removal

Amid constitutional complications regarding the removal of President Md. Shahabuddin, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizen Committee have initiated efforts to address the matter politically. To build political consensus on the issue, the two organizations have formed teams to engage in dialogue with various political parties. They have already held informal discussions with BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

On Friday, October 25, the spokesperson of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Umama Fatema, confirmed to the media that they had an unofficial meeting with BNP regarding the president’s removal. "We asked BNP how the president could be removed. They presented their points, and we shared ours. A discussion took place, but no decision was reached," she said.

When asked if other topics were discussed with BNP, Fatema clarified, "The main topic of discussion was the removal of the president. No other significant issues were raised."

A senior BNP source confirmed that leaders from both movements visited the residence of BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed in Gulshan on Thursday, October 24. BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi later joined the meeting.

During the discussion, the student and citizen leaders argued that President Md. Shahabuddin had lost his legitimacy by making remarks claiming there was no documentary evidence of the resignation of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They asserted that such statements disqualified him from holding the office of president, and if no action is taken, the interim government could lose its credibility. The movements aim to build support from political parties to push their demands.

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However, BNP remains cautious about the matter. While the party assured it harbors no sympathy for President Shahabuddin, it expressed concerns over potential hidden agendas behind efforts to remove him and uncertainty about the political situation that could follow. On October 23, senior BNP leaders, including Salahuddin Ahmed, reportedly met with the chief advisor of the interim government to advise against creating any constitutional crisis at this time. They believe that a vacancy in the presidency could spark both political and constitutional turmoil, which BNP wants to avoid.

Representatives from both movements at the meeting included Anti-Discrimination Student Movement leaders Hasnat Abdullah, Arif Sohel, Abdul Hannan Masud, and Umama Fatema, along with National Citizen Committee leaders Nasiruddin Patwari, Akhtar Hossain, Samanta Sharmin, and Sarjees Alam.

On the evening of October 25, the student leaders also met with a delegation from Jamaat-e-Islami at the party’s central office in Moghbazar. Sarjees Alam was absent from this meeting. Jamaat was represented by Secretary General Mia Ghulam Parwar and Deputy Chiefs Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher and Hamidur Rahman Azad. Sources indicate that Jamaat agreed in principle with the demand to remove President Shahabuddin but emphasized that any action should be based on political consensus.

Nasiruddin Patwari, convenor of the National Citizen Committee, stated that their objective is to forge political unity on the issue. "We will make an official statement once a consensus is reached through discussions," he added.

Meanwhile, the interim government’s advisory council has also deliberated on the president’s removal. Although there is pressure from student leaders, several parties, including BNP, oppose triggering a constitutional crisis at this juncture. Government sources suggest that any unilateral action could complicate the situation, so the latest advisory council meeting decided to seek a resolution through consensus with political parties.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and the National Citizen Committee plan to meet with the Democracy Platform in the coming days. They will also hold talks with other parties, such as Islami Andolan, the Council for People's Rights, and the Ganasamhati Andolon.