Bangladesh Chief Justice Steps Down as Protests Surge

Obaidul Hassan, the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, on Saturday announced his resignation 'on principle' after thousands of protestors surrounded the Supreme Court premises in Dhaka and issued an ultimatum for the Chief Justice and other Appellate Division judges to step down by 1 p.m. The Chief Justice made his decision public in afternoon amidst the escalating protest.

Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan is set to formally submit his resignation after consulting with President Mohammad Shahabuddin later this evening, according to The Dhaka Tribune. The Daily Star reported that protesters have threatened to surround and vandalize the judges' residences if the judges do not resign before the specified deadline.

Several thousand protesters, primarily students, began gathering at the Supreme Court premises around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and the judges of the Appellate Division. Due to the unrest, the Chief Justice decided to postpone the full court meeting scheduled for the day. This meeting was intended to address whether court functions would continue virtually amid the ongoing protest.

Earlier in the day, Asif Mahmud, the Adviser to the Youth and Sports Ministry of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, called for the unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan. In a Facebook post, Mahmud also demanded that the full court meeting be halted, further intensifying the situation.

Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, who was appointed to lead the Supreme Court of Bangladesh last year, was widely regarded as a loyalist to the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Following the eruption of mass protests in Bangladesh, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, marking the end of her rule in Bangladesh. Her government had faced severe criticism for widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings and the imprisonment of thousands of political opponents.