Bangladesh Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan resigns amid protests

Bangladesh Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, on Saturday, quit after protesting students surrounded the Supreme Court and demanded his resignation within an hour.

“I feel it is necessary to share a special news with you. Our chief justice has resigned few minutes back. His resignation letter has already reached at the law ministry. We will send it to the president without delay for taking necessary measures,” Law, Justice and Parliamentary affairs Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul said in a video message in his Facebook post as quoted by The Daily Star.

“We have received only the resignation letter of the chief justice. There is no update about (resignation) of others,” he added.

The protests were triggered after the Chief Justice had called a full-court hearing without any consultation with the newly-formed interim government, which is headed by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The court hearing was abruptly called off following the protests.

Signalling the beginning of a new era after 15 years of Sheikh Hasina’s regime, Yunus took oath as the head of the interim government in Bangladesh on Thursday.

In the last few weeks, Bangladesh witnessed deadly protests which began with students protesting against the job quota and then it slowly spiralled into a mass movement that demanded Hasina’s resignation as the Prime Minister.

The violence led to the death of over 300 people.

The showdown took a new turn when Hasina was forced to resign which led to the toppling of her government and ending her 15-year rule.

Hasina escaped to India in a helicopter.

Following Hasina’s resignation and Army’s takeover, violence further escalated with the protesters barging into the Prime Minister’s residence, bringing down tall leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s statue, looting, and setting houses and government properties on fire.

Several Hindu families and temples were allegedly attacked in the country, which was set free from Pakistan in 1971.