President Mohammad Sahabuddin said that he heard that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned, but he did not have any documentary evidence or documents in this regard.

He said these things in a special interview to Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, editor-in-chief of Manabzamin newspaper.

The interview was published in 'Janata Chokh', the political magazine edition of Manav Zamin magazine on Saturday.

According to Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, if the Prime Minister's resignation letter has really been submitted, then someone should have a copy of it. But after three weeks of searching in different places, no one could find it. Even the Cabinet Department, where the resignations of the President, Prime Minister and Ministers are usually kept, has been contacted. But nothing was found there either. So finally the President gets the opportunity to know the answer directly.

On August 5, the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country in the face of student agitation and mass protests. According to Article 57 (a) of the Constitution, if the Prime Minister resigns, he must submit his resignation letter to the President. But the President said that no resignation letter of Sheikh Hasina or any related evidence has reached him.

According to the President, 'I have tried many times to collect the resignation letter, but failed. Maybe it's not his time'.

In the interview, the President said that at 10:30 am on August 5, a call came from the Prime Minister's residence to Banga Bhavan, saying that the Prime Minister would come to meet the President. After that, preparations started at Bangabhaban. But within an hour another call came that she (Sheikh Hasina) was not coming.

He said, 'There is news of instability all around. I don't know what's going to happen. I can't sit around depending on rumours. So I asked Military Secretary General Adil to inquire. He has no news either. we are waiting I am also watching the television scroll. No news anywhere. At one point I heard that he left the country. He did not tell me anything.'

The President said, 'When Army Chief General Walker came to Bangabhaban, I tried to find out if the Prime Minister had resigned or not? Same answer. I heard he resigned. It seems that he did not get the time to tell.'

He said, 'When everything came under control, one day the Cabinet Secretary came to collect the copy of the resignation letter. I told him, I am also looking for it.

At one stage of the conversation with Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the President said that there is no room for debate on this issue. The Prime Minister is gone and that is the truth. However, I have sought the opinion of the Supreme Court to ensure that this question never arises again.

In view of the reference sent by the President, the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hasan gave their opinion in this regard on August 8. It said that an interim government may be formed to fill constitutional vacuums in situations that may arise and to carry out the executive functions properly. The Appellate Division opined that the President can administer the oath to the Chief Adviser and Advisory Council of the Interim Government.

However, in his address to the nation on August 5, the President said, 'Dear countrymen, Assalamu Alaikum, you know that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has submitted her resignation letter to the President and I have accepted it.'

What happened on August 5?

The anti-discrimination students' long march to Dhaka was on that day to succeed the ongoing non-cooperation movement demanding the government's resignation. Earlier, this anti-discrimination student movement formed around the quota reform movement had announced a new two-day program. This movement continues throughout the month of July. At one point the government reformed the quota. However, due to the loss of lives and violence surrounding the quota reform movement, there was a demand for Sheikh Hasina's resignation. After 11 o'clock on August 5, people poured on the road to Dhaka. They started coming from different places breaking the curfew. At one point important points including Shah Bagh, Central Shaheed Minar became crowded. Awami League president Sheikh Hasina was forced to leave the country after resigning from the post of prime minister due to the popular uprising led by the anti-discrimination student movement. On that day, AFP reported that Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana had left the Ganobhaban to a safe place. Later it is known that he is in India.