Tensions grip Bangladesh as student protesters demand president's resignation

DHAKA, BANGLADESH — 

Political hostility successful Bangladesh grew Wednesday aft a starring pupil radical called for the country's figurehead president to resign implicit his comments that appeared to telephone into question erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation successful August.

The interim authorities was expected to clasp a Cabinet gathering to sermon the contented Thursday, portion pupil protesters accused President Mohammed Shahabuddin of collaborating with Hasina's "fascist" regime.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement acceptable a two-day deadline for Shahabuddin to measurement down. Hundreds of protesters rallied successful the capital, Dhaka, connected Tuesday and into Wednesday portion others attempted to tempest the statesmanlike palace. Police and witnesses said information officials utilized stun grenades to disperse people.

Shahabuddin told a Bengali-language paper earlier this week that helium had not seen Hasina's resignation missive arsenic she fled to India successful August during a student-led uprising. An interim authorities led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took powerfulness and formed a authorities aft Hasina stepped down connected August 5.

Shahabuddin told the Manab Zamin regular that helium lone heard astir Hasina's resignation but had not seen the letter, saying helium tried to cod it "many times but failed." He added: "Maybe she did not person the time."

The connection infuriated the Yunus-led authorities and pupil activists. It contradicted Shahabuddin's code to the federation connected August 5, erstwhile helium said helium had received the letter.

Under Bangladesh's constitution, an elected premier curate indispensable taxable his oregon her resignation successful penning to the president. Shahabuddin was appointed to the station by parliament aft Hasina was elected premier curate for a 4th consecutive word successful January.

Shahabuddin dissolved parliament earlier the interim authorities took powerfulness connected August 8.

Asif Nazrul, the country's instrumentality adviser, precocious accused Shahabuddin of spreading falsehoods and questioned if helium was acceptable to stay successful office.

Experts said the resignation oregon removal of the president could make a law vacuum. Under the constitution, lone parliament tin impeach the president.

A elder person of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is led by Hasina's main rival and erstwhile Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, met with Yunus connected Wednesday.

"If the associates of the fallen autocracy effort to make immoderate law and governmental crisis, the pro-democracy and agitating governmental parties and antithetic organizations volition woody with it unitedly," Nazrul Islam Khan, a lasting committee subordinate of the party, told reporters.

Also connected Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs successful a announcement banned the Bangladesh Chhatra League, an influential pupil helping of Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League party, with contiguous effect, saying the authorities made the determination pursuing the country's Anti-Terrorism Act.

The announcement said the authorities has grounds that the 76-year-old pupil assemblage has been progressive successful "subversive" activities against the authorities since Hasina stepped down. It did not stock the evidence. The determination came a time aft the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement issued a seven-day ultimatum to the authorities to prohibition the group.

Hasina is present successful India, but the Yunus-led authorities has said it would question her expatriation to effort her for alleged crimes against humanity.