The decision regarding the issue of the president’s removal appears to have become uncertain as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Saturday took time to discuss the matter in its own forum, while a delegation of the Student Movement Against Discrimination and the National Citizens’ Committee placed the demand to the party.

Student Movement Against Discrimination led the July-August mass uprising that culminated in the overthrow and fleeing of then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, while the National Citizens’ Committee was formed with many of the organisers of the movement who are not currently student.

On Saturday, at a meeting with the BNP they discussed about their demands of removing president Muhammed Shahabuddin, proclamation of the second republic and political consensus for national unity.

The meeting was held at the BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office with party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed and joint general secretary Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie attending from its side.

From the protesters’ side, Student Movement Against Discrimination convener Hasnat Abdullah, member secretary Arif Sohel, spokesperson Umama Fatema, lead organiser Abudl Hannan Masud, National Citizens’ Committee convener Nasiruddin Patwary, member secretary Akhter Hossain, spokesperson Samanta Sharmin and member Ariful Islam Adib attended the meeting.

Emerging from the meeting, Hasnat told reporters that BNP top leaders heard the demands but did not announce their decision.

‘The BNP leaders said that after discussing the issues, including the president’s removal, in the party forum, they will announce their decision,’ he said.

A BNP leader, however, confirmed New Age that they did not give any specific time to the protesters in this regard.

Hasnat said that they called for national unity on October 23 for removing president Shahabuddin saying that he was an obstacle to the complete abolition of fascism.

‘We ensured Hasina’s overthrow fighting our way towards abolishing fascism. It was our primary victory. Now her [Hasina] appointed president Chuppu [Shahabuddin] must go,’ he stated.

‘We are discussing with the political parties about our new political settlement. We discussed with the BNP today. We have discussed three issues there,’ he said, adding that the first issue was proclamation of the second republic, the second issue was the president’s removal and the third one was forging a national unity to run the government.

Hasnat also said that they already held meetings with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Andolon Bangladesh in this regard.

He said that Jammat and Islami Andolon agreed on the issue of the president’s removal.

Hasnat also said that meetings will be held with the Ganatantra Mancha, the 12-party alliance and the Gono Odhikar Parishad today.

Nasiruddin said, ‘Chuppu [Shahabuddin] must go and there should be a second republic declaration. We are not fixing any timeframes, but it should be done in the interest of people. We will be on the field with the demands.’

The Student Movement Against Discrimination and the National Citizens’ Committee on Wednesday jointly called for a national unity for the president’s removal and the cancellation of the constitution, while a small group on the day demonstrated in front of the Bangabhaban, office-cum-residence of the president.

The BNP, however, said that it was not in favour of the president’s removal at this time as it could delay the democratic transition as well as the national election.

The demand for the president’s removal comes into the fore after in a special interview with Manab Zamin editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury on October 19, president Shahabuddin said that he did not have ‘any documentary evidence’ of the former prime minister’s resignation.

Later on October 21 in a press release sent from the president’s press wing, Shahabuddin urged all to refrain from destabilising or embarrassing the interim government centring on ‘media publicity’ by quoting him regarding the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

‘The clear statement from the president is that all the questions that have arisen in the public mind regarding the resignation and departure from the country of the prime minister in the face of the student-people uprising, the dissolution of the parliament, and the constitutional validity of the incumbent interim government are answered in the order of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in the Special Reference No-01/2024, dated August 8, 2024,’ said the release.

On Thursday, the government decided to make a decision on the demand for the president’s resignation based on political consensus as it considered it as a political issue, rather than a constitutional one.

The cabinet made the decision at its meeting with chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus in the chair at his Tejgaon office, the government’s spokesperson and environment adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan told a press briefing.