Dissolution Of Parliament
A day after the fall of the Awami League-led government, President Mohammed Shahabuddin controversially dissolved Bangladesh's 12th national parliament under pressure, an action that has been widely criticized as unconstitutional. The dissolution came after three key student coordinators of the anti-government protest—Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, and Abu Bakar Majumder—issued an ultimatum, demanding that the parliament be dissolved by 3 p.m. on August 6. The students warned of "strict actions" if their demands were not met. Facing immense pressure from the protest movement, the President moved to dissolve the parliament, but this decision appears to have violated Bangladesh's Constitution. As per ‘Article 57(3)’ of the Constitution, the President is required to act on the advice of the Prime Minister for executive decisions, including the dissolution of parliament. The President may dissolve parliament unilaterally only in extraordinary circumstances, such as during an emergency or after the resignation of the Prime Minister. In this case, since Sheikh Hasina had not formally resigned before leaving for India, the dissolution was executed without her advice, making it a violation of constitutional protocol. Moreover, the irregular circumstances of this dissolution have raised serious concerns. The Speaker's chair remained vacant during the transition, which is an unprecedented and deeply troubling deviation from standard parliamentary procedure. This unusual void sent shockwaves through Bangladesh's political establishment, highlighting the abnormality of the dissolution process. The hasty dissolution reeks of political maneuvering, suggesting that it was not a genuine response to the demands for reform, but rather a calculated move by certain powerful interests to destabilize the government for their own benefit. Such an abrupt dissolution of an elected body undermines the integrity of Bangladesh's democratic institutions and raises red flags about the intentions behind this decision. The ramifications of this dissolution extend far beyond procedural concerns. It threatens to deepen Bangladesh's fragile political instability by creating a dangerous power vacuum and disrupting the continuity of governance. With no parliamentary oversight on crucial decisions, public trust in government institutions is likely to erode even further, potentially igniting more social unrest.