Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal on Thursday told a Dhaka court that the 2024 national election was a "dummy and farcical" one.
Highlighting the helplessness of the Election Commission (EC),Mr Awal added that without fundamental reforms, it would not be possible to hold fair elections in Bangladesh even in the next 1,000 years.
He made the remarks in response to a question from Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman during a hearing at the CMM Court.
Taken aback by the statement, the court asked Awal why he had not resigned from his post.
He evaded the question, replying that no CEC in Bangladesh had ever resigned in the past.
The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Habibul Awal on Wednesday from the Moghbazar area of the capital.
He was later shown arrested in a case filed by the BNP with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
Sub-Inspector Shamsuzzoha Sarkar of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, also the investigating officer of the case, produced Mr Awal before the court on Thursday and submitted a petition seeking a 10-day remand for further investigation.
After hearing arguments, the court granted a three-day remand.
Public Prosecutor Md Omar Faruq Faruqi, representing the state, supported the remand request.
A lawyer appearing for Mr Awal opposed it, citing his age (70) and multiple chronic illnesses.
With the court's permission, Mr Awal addressed the court directly and reiterated, "The election was indeed a dummy and farcical one."
Asked again why he did not resign despite knowing the state of the election, Mr Awal responded, "It wasn't possible to resign in that situation. Even one of my friends asked me about resigning. I told him, if you had warned me earlier that such a disastrous election was coming, I wouldn't have taken the post in the first place."
In the same case, another former CEC, KM Nurul Huda, was arrested last Sunday.
The following day, the court granted a four-day remand.
The BNP filed the case on Monday against 24 individuals, including three former CECs, 10 election commissioners, and several top government and police officials, alleging irregularities and bias in the national elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024.
Among the accused are ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former IGP Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, and other senior government officials.
bikashju@gmail.com