President Mohammed Shahabuddin attended the golden jubilee of the President Guard Regiment (PGR) at the Dhaka Cantonment on Monday after a long gap amidst the conspiracy to remove the President and the Army Chief.
A press release sent by ISPR Assistant Director Rashedul Alam Khan stated that upon arriving at the PGR headquarters in the morning, the President was received by Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman and the PGR Commander.
In his short speech, President Shahabuddin instructed the PGR members always to be loyal to the leadership and discharge their assigned duties properly.
In addition, he praised the concentration, dedication, discipline and professional skills of the PGR members.
The President remembered the brave martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the Liberation War, as well as all the deceased soldiers, including five martyrs of the PGR.
He inspected the Quarter Guard of PGR, signed the inspection book and exchanged greetings with the officers and JCOs of the regiment.
He then addressed the gathering of all the officers, junior commissioned officers and other ranks serving in PGR at Shaheed Captain Hafiz Hall.
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Chief of the Navy Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Hassan Mahmud Khan were present on the occasion.
In addition, the CGS of the Army, PSO AFD, QMG of the Army, Secretary of the Public Division of the President’s Office, Secretary of Defense, Military Secretary to the President and other senior military and civilian officials were present.
This gathering reflects the loyalty of the armed forces to the President amid various speculations.
Even though the golden jubilee was on July 5 and usually a two-day event is organised, the President attended the event on the third day.
The PGR is one of Bangladesh’s highly specialised elite military units. It was established by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on July 5, 1975, initially as the Presidential Security Force (PSF). It was elevated to a full regiment in 1982, taking on its current prestigious name.
The PGR’s primary mission is to provide comprehensive and flawless security for the President, Prime Minister, their immediate family members, and all other designated Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs). Their duties extend beyond direct protection to include vital military support for VVIP travel, emergency medical services, and intricate hospitality protocols during state events.
Operating directly under the Executive Office of the President, the PGR is led by the Military Secretary to the President and the PGR Commander. Its members are handpicked from the most capable and disciplined soldiers across the Bangladesh Army.
Ouster plot
Since the August 5 changeover, the Jamaat-controlled interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has made several attempts to call for the Presidentโs resignation and the removal of General Waker.
In late June, anarchists patronised by the government, notably France-based Pinaki Bhattacharya, threatened to gather 50,000 people to lay siege to the Bangabhaban and remove the President from his position on July 3.
Meanwhile, rumours are spreading like wildfire that the revolutionary student leaders will declare the July Charter and suspend the Constitution on August 3, the day their deadline for the government ends.
Many of the leaders and patrons of the movement regretted that they could not do it on August 5, which is why the conspirators could not form a revolutionary government to enjoy absolute power and avoid being charged for the violation of the Constitution.
Moreover, they forged the then-Chief Justice Obaidul Hasanโs signature on August 8 to legitimise the formation of the interim government, since it is illegal as per the Constitution.
In mid-October, the Daily Manab Zamin Chief Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury stirred a debate, saying he met the President and wanted to know about Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation letter.
President Shahabuddin replied that he had heard Sheikh Hasina had resigned as the prime minister, but he did not have the resignation letter.
The Law Ministry and the Supreme Court also failed to produce Sheikh Hasinaโs resignation letter.
Sheikh Hasina has also said that she did not have the time to resign. She had to leave Ganabhaban quickly since the mob was instructed to assassinate her.
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According to section 57(a) of the constitution, the prime minister’s office shall become vacant if he/she resigns from the office at any time by handing the resignation letter to the president.
During the conversation, the president said, “At 10:30am on August 5, the Bangabhaban had gotten a call from the prime minister’s residence, saying the honourable prime minister would visit the Bangabhaban to call on His Excellency the President. Right afterwards, preparations began at the Bangabhaban. But within an hour, another call came saying she [Hasina] won’t be coming.”
There was news of unrest everywhere, he said.
“[At the time] I don’t know what’s going to happen. I can’t sit around and depend on rumours. So, I asked Military Secretary General Adil to find out [what is happening]. He had no news either. We were waiting, even watching the television scrolls. There was no news anywhere.
“At one point, I heard she had left the country. She didn’t tell me anything. I just told you [interviewer] whatever is true. Anyway, when Army Chief General Waker came to the Bangabhaban, I tried to know if the prime minister had resigned. He gave me the same answer: ‘I heard she resigned’. She perhaps did not get the time to let [us] know.”
Shahabuddin added, “When things came under control, one day the cabinet secretary came to collect the copy of the resignation letter. I told him that I, too, am looking for it.”
At one stage of the conversation with Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the president said, “There is no room for debate in this regard anymore. The prime minister has left, and that is the truth. Even then, just to ensure this question never arises again, I sought the Supreme Court’s opinion on the matter.”
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