President Mohammed Shahabuddin has said he heard Sheikh Hasina had resigned as the prime minister, but he does not have any documentary evidence.

"I tried [to collect the resignation letter] many times but failed. Maybe she did not get the time," he added.

The president said these when Manab Zamin Chief Editor Matiur Rahman Chowdhury met him and wanted to know about ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation letter.

The write-up that carries the conversation was published in the daily's political magazine "Janatar Chokh" yesterday.

Hasina left the country on August 5 following a student-led mass uprising.

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Hasina falls, flees

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 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."

In response to the reference sent by him, the Appellate Division of the SC, headed by the then chief justice Obaidul Hasan, gave its opinion on August 8.

It said an interim government may be formed to remove the constitutional vacuum and to ensure smooth operations of the executive, and also the president is allowed to swear in a chief adviser and other advisers of the interim government.