Ex-CEC Kazi Habibul Awal arrested

Former chief election commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, who oversaw last year's national election, was arrested yesterday on charges of poll irregularities and constitutional violations.

The Detective Branch of police arrested Awal at a flat in the capital's Moghbazar, said Talebur Rahman, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Awal, two other former chief election commissioners (CECs), and 22 others have been accused in a case filed by BNP Executive Committee member Salahuddin Khan with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on Sunday.

DMP Joint Commissioner Nasirul Islam told reporters that Awal went into hiding after the case was filed.

Earlier this week, KM Nurul Huda, who oversaw the 2018 national polls as the CEC, was arrested in the city's Uttara. Huda was assaulted by a mob before police took him into custody.

The others accused in the case include ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, 11 former election commissioners, and top government and police officials. During the 2014 national election, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad was the CEC.

According to the complaint, the accused violated the constitution, breached the electoral code of conduct, and falsely pronounced individuals as winners even though they did not receive the people's votes.

The Awal-led Election Commission held last year's national polls boycotted by the major opposition parties, including the BNP. In multiple places, the ruling Awami League leaders ran as independents against their party colleagues to make the election appear competitive.

The Huda-led commission held the December 2018 general election. Several political parties alleged that ballot boxes were stuffed the night before election day. The Jatiya Oikya Front in a complaint to the EC mentioned at the time that between 30 and 60 percent of the votes were cast the night before.

In January 2019, Transparency International Bangladesh in a study found that stamping of ballots took place the night before election day in more than one centre in 33 of the 50 surveyed constituencies.

Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad led the EC which held the "one-sided" 2014 national election, in which 153 lawmakers out of 300 were "elected" without needing any vote whatsoever because they were the only ones running for office in their constituencies.

The AL-led alliance won more than two-thirds majorities in the three national elections.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on June 16 ordered an investigation into the roles played by former ECs.

The Electoral Reform Commission in its report in February recommended introducing a mechanism to hold election commissioners accountable for failing to carry out their constitutional duties.

It also called for an investigation into the irregularities by former ECs.