Chief Justice of Bangladesh resigns as student protests escalate

Chief Justice of Bangladesh Obaidul Hassan has announced his resignation following escalating student protests near the Supreme Court on Saturday. 

Demonstrators encircled the court, demanding his resignation within an hour, according to reports from The Daily Star. 

The protests, led by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, have given an ultimatum for resignations by 1 PM today, threatening to besiege the judges' residences if their demands are not met. 

The unrest began after the Chief Justice’s decision to convene a full-court meeting without consulting the newly formed interim government. 

By 10:30 AM, hundreds of protesters, including students and lawyers, gathered outside the Supreme Court, expressing their discontent. 

The movement has gained further support from Asif Mahmud, an adviser of the Youth and Sports Ministry in the interim government, also calling for the unconditional resignation of Chief Justice Hassan and an end to the contentious full court meeting. 

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To address the growing unrest, Chief Justice Hassan postponed the full court meeting, initially set to determine whether court functions would continue virtually. 

This wave of protests is part of a larger national unrest in Bangladesh, which began after the government’s attempt to increase the 10 per cent quota in government jobs to 56 per cent. 

The protests turned violent, leading the government to retract the amended quota. 

However, the demonstrations, largely led by students, escalated into calls for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and have turned deadly, with reports indicating that over 350 individuals have lost their lives since July due to clashes between police, pro-government supporters, and demonstrators. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on August 5. She is currently reportedly in India. 

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party, has now called for Hasina to face criminal charges, including allegations of murder, forced disappearance, money laundering, and corruption.