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Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal has described the 2024 national election as a “dummy and fabricated exercise,” blaming the lack of political consensus ahead of the polls.
Awal made the statement on Wednesday (26 June) during a confessional deposition before Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman, during a hearing on his remand.
When the court asked why he had not resigned despite overseeing what he now describes as a flawed election, Awal avoided a direct answer, stating that no CEC in Bangladesh’s history had resigned from the post.
In his statement, the former CEC also referred to controversial elections held during Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s regime, as well as irregularities during the 1996 general election, in an attempt to draw historical parallels.
Following the hearing, the court placed Awal on a three-day remand in connection with a case filed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The case accuses 24 individuals, including former CECs, election commissioners, and other officials, of electoral irregularities and bias in conducting the 10th, 11th, and 12th national elections.
Awal was arrested by a Detective Branch (DB) police team from the Moghbazar area on Tuesday (25 June). His arrest came just two days after the BNP filed the case at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
Earlier, on Sunday evening, police also detained former CEC KM Nurul Huda from his residence in Uttara, Dhaka.
The 11th national election, held in December 2018 under KM Nurul Huda, was marred by allegations of overnight ballot-stuffing, according to the BNP. The 12th election in 2024, overseen by Awal, was boycotted by the BNP, which later denounced it as a “dummy election.”
Earlier this month, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus directed the formation of a high-level committee to investigate the roles and responsibilities of individuals involved in managing the three controversial elections.
