Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad is flying back to Bangladesh earlier than planned from Thailand as speculation over President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s future intensifies.
A senior official at the Parliament Secretariat, speaking to bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity on Thursday night, said the speaker’s return had been brought forward.
“He is now expected to return on a Thai Airways flight scheduled to arrive at around 12:30pm on Friday,” the official said.
Hafiz travelled to Bangkok on Jul 19 for medical treatment. Under his original itinerary, he had been due to return on Jul 26.
The change in schedule comes after speculation over the president’s possible resignation gathered pace following a Facebook post by exiled Bangladeshi journalist Zulkarnain Saer on Wednesday.
Multiple officials at the President’s Office, along with a person close to the president, told bdnews24.com on Thursday that Shahabuddin had decided to resign.
They said submission of the resignation letter had been delayed because the speaker was out of the country.
Under Article 50(3) of the Constitution, the president may resign by submitting a signed letter addressed to the speaker.
If the office of the president falls vacant, Article 54 provides that the speaker will discharge the functions of the president until a new head of state is elected.
Although the Constitution does not require the speaker to be physically present in Bangladesh when the president submits a resignation, officials say the speaker must immediately assume the constitutional responsibilities of the office once the presidency becomes vacant.
According to officials familiar with the matter, senior government authorities therefore requested that the speaker shorten his visit and return to Bangladesh on Friday.