Former Bangladeshi President Mohammad Shahabuddin is set to leave the presidential residence, Bangabhaban, on Sunday, a day after resigning from office, with plans to move to his private residence in the capital's Gulshan area, his personal assistant said.

The resignation ends Shahabuddin's tenure nearly 21 months before the expiry of his five-year term in April 2028. The former president, whose tenure spanned three successive governments, has faced growing political criticism in recent months, while the National Citizen Party (NCP) has called for his arrest.

"He resigned yesterday. He will leave Bangabhaban around noon on Sunday and move to his private residence in Gulshan," Shahabuddin's personal assistant, Md. Sagar Hossain, told Daily Waadaa. He said the former president's personal belongings had already been transferred to the apartment.

Officials at Bangabhaban said Shahabuddin's household items had been moved to the Gulshan residence beginning on Wednesday as preparations for his departure got underway.

Shahabuddin was elected unopposed with the backing of the Awami League and was sworn in as Bangladesh's 22nd president in April 2023.

Speculation over Shahabuddin's possible resignation first emerged publicly on Wednesday. That evening, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury met with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Following the meeting, senior BNP leaders reportedly conveyed a message urging Shahabuddin to step down, while discussions were also underway among senior figures in the ruling party over his potential successor. However, neither the government nor the BNP publicly called for his resignation.

On Thursday, Shahabuddin met senior officials at Bangabhaban and instructed subordinate staff to prepare to vacate the presidential residence within the month, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Later that day, he formally submitted his resignation letter to the Speaker of Parliament, citing health reasons for stepping down.

Shahabuddin, a lawyer by profession, also served as a member of the advisory council of the now-banned Awami League before assuming the presidency.