Bangladesh President alleges Yunus regime of keeping him under house arrest

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has claimed that he was virtually under house arrest for 18 months, and denied travel rights even for health reasons.

In an interview with Bangladeshi newspaper Kaler Kontho, Shahabuddin said that the restrictions on his travel disrupted the Eid traditions followed by the president since the liberation of the country.

“It was as if I was under house arrest in this palace," said Shahabuddin, referring to Bangabhaban, the official residence of the president.


"The President participates in the holy Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the National Eidgah Maidan, this tradition has been going on since the country's independence. But Dr Yunus's government has put obstacles i that tradition," Shahabuddin told Kaler Kontho.

Shahabuddin alleged that while Chief Adviser Yunus, as the de facto prime minister, made 14 foreign trips, he was not allowed to travel abroad even for health reasons.

"I had a bypass surgery at the National University Hospital of Singapore. A year after the surgery, I had a follow-up appointment at the hospital there. I wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to go to Singapore for treatment. In response, I was directly prohibited," said Sahabuddin.

"They said, if necessary, they will arrange to bring a doctor from abroad, but still, I cannot go abroad," he said.

He mentioned the same thing was repeated when he had an appointment at Cambridge Parkway Hospital in London but was not allowed to go.

He stated, "Their main objective was to break me mentally so that I would resign voluntarily, allowing them to unconstitutionally install someone of their choice and delay elections or cling to power. With a President of their choosing, they believed they could do whatever they wanted this mindset drove the mental harassment inflicted on me."

“There was even a plot to bring in a former Chief Justice to replace me through unconstitutional means. An adviser met him for hours, but the judge refused, stating he could not assume the presidency in such a manner. His firmness foiled that attempt,” he said.

Sources said the interim regime wanted to bring a person of their choice to rewrite the constitution.

“The BNP’s assurances helped, as did the full support of the Armed Forces. They told me that as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, my defeat would mean their defeat. They would not allow any unconstitutional act. Diplomatic circles were also opposed to my removal through unlawful means. That, too, was a source of strength,” he said.

“Two of my foreign visits — one to Kosovo and another to Qatar — were blocked. In the case of Qatar, a draft letter was prepared stating that I was too busy to attend. I returned it with a question mark and formally protested the discourteous conduct of the Foreign Ministry. There was no reply… It seemed the government did not want my name to appear anywhere. Even in national commemorative publications, my message and photograph were omitted. My portrait was removed from Bangladesh missions abroad overnight — breaking long-standing practice. I considered that perhaps the first step towards my removal,” he said.