Chief Justice of Bangladesh to resign as student protests escalate around the Supreme Court

In a dramatic turn of events, Bangladesh Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan announced his resignation following a protest near the Supreme Court on Saturday. Demonstrators encircled the court, issuing an ultimatum demanding his departure within an hour, according to reports from The Daily Star.

The protests, led by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, have issued an ultimatum for the resignations by 1:00 PM today, threatening to besiege the judges' residences should their demands remain unmet.

The recent unrest was sparked by the Chief Justice’s decision to convene a full-court meeting without consulting the newly formed interim government.

By 10:30 AM, hundreds of protesters, including students and lawyers, gathered outside the Supreme Court, voicing their discontent. The movement has gained additional traction with Asif Mahmud, an adviser of the Youth and Sports Ministry in the interim government, also calling for the unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Hassan and an end to the contentious full court meeting.

To suppress the growing unrest, Chief Justice Hassan had postponed the full court meeting, which was initially set to determine whether court functions would continue virtually.

This wave of protests is part of a larger backdrop of national unrest in Bangladesh, which erupted following the government’s attempt to increase the 10 per cent quota in government jobs to 56 per cent.

The protests turned violent, resulting in the government retracting the amended quota. However, the demonstrations, largely led by students, escalated into calls for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and have sadly turned deadly, with reports indicating that over 350 individuals have lost their lives since July due to clashes between police, pro-government supporters, and demonstrators.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, one of Asia’s longest-serving leaders, resigned and fled the country on August 5. She is currently reportedly in India.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party, has now called for Hasina to face criminal charges, including allegations of murder, forced disappearance, money laundering, and corruption.