Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin resigned on Friday, citing serious health concerns after being diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy, his office announced.
The 76-year-old said the neurological condition occasionally causes him to lose consciousness, making it difficult to continue carrying out his responsibilities.
"Recent medical examinations have diagnosed me with a condition known as Autonomic Neuropathy. Due to this condition, I occasionally experience momentary loss of consciousness," Shahabuddin said in a statement released by his press secretary.
Shahabuddin has served as Bangladesh's largely ceremonial president since April 2023, overseeing a turbulent period that included the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following a student-led uprising in 2024.
His resignation leaves Hasina without any allies in high office ahead of her planned return later this year. Her Awami League party remains banned, while many of its senior leaders and activists have been jailed or gone into hiding since the uprising.
Under Bangladesh's Constitution, Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad will assume the duties of acting president until a new head of state is elected.
Although the president is the commander-in-chief of Bangladesh's armed forces, executive authority rests with the prime minister and the cabinet in the country of around 173 million people.
Reuters had reported a day earlier that Shahabuddin, once considered an ally of Hasina, was expected to step down.
