Bangladesh Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan stepped down on Saturday amid a wave of new student protests in the South Asian country.
What do we know so far?
Asif Nazrul, an adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, said in a Facebook video message that Obaidul resigned after he was cautioned by student protesters of “dire consequences” if he stayed put in his role.
Nazrul cautioned demonstrators to not “damage any public property” in his video message.
As the new interim government under reshuffles the judiciary, five other judges are also expected to step down.
Student protesters gathered outside the Supreme Court in the capital Dhaka on Saturday, calling for Chief Justice Obaidul to relinquish his position. According to Bangladeshi media, Obaidul is seen as a supporter of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh in transition after Hasina’s ouster
Sheikh Hasina was ousted from her position last Monday after protesters encircled her Dhaka residence last week. Hasina fled to New Delhi to escape the unrest.
Mass demonstrations were ignited in Bangladesh in June over a quota for government jobs in the country. The protests morphed into a grievance movement against Hasina, who had been in power for 15 consecutive years.
Although Hasina has left Bangladesh, the new interim leader in facilitating job growth and combating inflation in the country.
wd/rmt (Reuters, AFP)
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