After the resignation of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister due to widespread protests in Bangladesh, the rioters have now turned their attention to the Supreme Court, demanding the resignation of all judges, including the Chief Justice. As per reports, the Chief Justice has decided to resign after rioters issued an ultimatum, giving him 2 hours to tender resignation.
Breaking: Bangladesh Chief Justice to resign after protestors gather in front of the Supreme court https://t.co/tqbORmqZpk
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) August 10, 2024
Hundreds of rioters had surrounded the Supreme Court, calling for the Chief Justice to step down immediately. The situation has escalated, with reports indicating that the Chief Justice may have fled the premises.
The protests were ignited after the Chief Justice convened a full-court meeting without consulting the newly formed interim government, leading to allegations from student protesters that the judges were involved in a conspiracy.
Asif Mahmud, the adviser to the Youth and Sports Ministry of the Interim Government, took to Facebook to demand the unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and the cancellation of the full-court meeting.
As tensions rose, the full-court meeting was abruptly cancelled, but the protesters remained undeterred, giving the Chief Justice a one-hour ultimatum to resign. The protesters have demanded the resignation of the Chief Justice by 1 PM.
These new protests come shortly after a student-led uprising against government hiring practices led to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus taking charge of a caretaker government.
Sheikh Hasina had to hastily exit Bangladesh as thousands of violent rioters proceeded towards the Prime Minister’s residence earlier this week. The rioters vandalised and ransacked the Prime Minister’s palace, stealing utensils, sarees, and even undergarments from her residence. A separate violent mob then scaled the walls of the iconic Bangladesh parliament as a show of defiance against the democratically elected government of Sheikh Hasina.
An interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, has been appointed. According to the constitution, an election must be held within 90 days, although Yunus, the military, and the president have not yet commented on the timing of the election.
