Desk Report:
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has congratulated the Speaker of the National Assembly for assuming the responsibility of the interim president as per the constitution after the resignation of President Md. Shahabuddin. At the same time, the party has expressed hope that he will discharge his duties fairly, impartially and honestly and will maintain the dignity of the state.
Opposition leader and Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Dr. Shafiqur Rahman, MP, made these remarks at an emergency press briefing following the president’s resignation at the official residence of the opposition leader on Mintu Road in the capital on Friday (July 24, 2026) evening.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said that the current Speaker has assumed the responsibility of the interim president as per Article 54 of the constitution. He said, “We congratulate him. We hope that as long as he is in office, he will perform his duties fairly and honestly and will not show any bias towards anyone. If he performs his duties impartially and while maintaining the dignity of the President, we will provide him with all possible cooperation.”
He wished the interim president good health and said that according to the constitution, a new president must be elected within 90 days. As the parliament is currently in session, the presidential election will be completed through the normal constitutional process. He said that Jamaat’s position on this issue will also be clarified when the time comes.
The Ameer-e-Jamaat said, “Let Bangladesh move forward—this is everyone’s expectation. The interim president will perform his duties on time. There should not be any constitutional crisis here. We want no constitutional crisis to arise in the country.”
Stating that he wanted to see a dignified and independent-minded person in the post of president, Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, “We want to see a dignified president, not a flatterer, in the position of president. One of the goals of the reforms we are talking about is to end the culture of flattery. We expect a president who will fulfill his duties in accordance with the principles and constitution of the state and will not sell his conscience to anyone.”
He said that the people want to see a changed and progressive Bangladesh. However, the newly formed parliament has not yet fully moved forward to fulfill that expectation. Despite this, Jamaat-e-Islami will continue to play a constructive role inside and outside the parliament.
The opposition leader also commented on the country’s health system. He said that important people of the country, including the President and Prime Minister, should receive treatment within the country if possible. If necessary, foreign experts can be brought to the country for treatment.
Dr. Shafiqur Rahman said, “If the country’s elected or important people regularly go abroad for medical treatment, how will the country’s medical system develop? How will people’s trust in the country’s doctors return? Therefore, for the sake of the development of the country’s health system, we should all have faith in the country’s medical system.”
