Obaidul Hassan, the Chief Justice of Bangladesh, allegedly decided to step down after hundreds of demonstrators encircled the Supreme Court buildings in the capital Dhaka on Saturday and gave an ultimatum to the CJ and other justices of the Appellate Division to stand down by 1pm (local time).
Obaidul Hassan will tender his resignation after consulting President Mohammed Shahabuddin on evening, The Dhaka Tribune reported. The chief justice of Bangladesh revealed the decision on Saturday midday after protesters gathered at the court premises.
According to the Daily Star, protesters threatened to besiege judges’ homes if they refused to leave before the deadline.
Around 10:30 a.m., several hundred protestors, including students and lawyers, began assembling on the Supreme Court grounds, demanding the resignation of the Chief Justice and the justices of the Appellate Division.
Earlier in the morning, Asif Mahmud, the Interim government’s Youth and Sports Ministry adviser, wrote on Facebook, requesting Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan’s unequivocal resignation and the suspension of the full court meeting.
Amid the protest, the chief justice of Bangladesh postponed the full court meeting of the Supeme Court judges, which was convened to decide whether the function of the court will go on virtually.
Obaidul Hassan was appointed to helm the Supreme Court last year and is seen as a loyalist to ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina, 76, fled by helicopter to neighbouring India on Monday as protesters flooded Dhaka’s streets in a dramatic end to her iron-fisted rule.
The Sheikh Hasina government was accused of widespread human rights abuses including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of her political opponents.
Get the latest news updates and stay informed with FELA NEWS!
