Awal-led Election Commission announces resignations, making way for ‘reforms’

The commission, which organised the 12th national election, announced the decision two-and-a-half years before its tenure ends

The Election Commission led by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal has stepped aside amid mass reshuffles following the changeover in power.

The commission, which organised the 12th national parliamentary election, announced the decision at a press conference at the Nirbachan Bhaban in Dhaka’s Agargaon on Thursday, two-and-a-half years before its tenure came to an end.

The resignation letters of Awal and four other election commissioners have been accepted by President Md Shahabuddin, the Bangabhaban said in a statement.

Apart from Awal, the four other members of the commission were retired brigadier general Md Ahsan Habib Khan, retired district and sessions judge Rashida Sultana, and retired senior secretaries Md Alamgir and Md Anisur Rahman.

Former CEC Awal served as the law secretary to the government. Later he served as religious affairs secretary, parliament secretariat secretary and senior defence ministry secretary.

Two other election commissioners - Brig Gen (retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan, who has been part of two commissions, and Md Alamgir - attended the press conference while two others – Rashida Sultana and Md Anisur Rahman – were absent.

The Awal-led commission was sworn in as the 13th in the country’s history on Feb 27, 2022. The general election on Jan 7 was organised by them.

The EC had called a media briefing amid measures taken by the interim government to reform the constitutional body after the student-led mass uprising.

The members of the election regulation body had previously met on Wednesday.

The Sheikh Hasina government fell on Aug 5. President Mohammed Shahabuddin subsequently dissolved the parliament.

Many Awami League leaders in the legal arena and former chief justice Obaidul Hassan have resigned in the face of a mass movement. There have been many changes in the police and administration sectors as well.

Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury also resigned on Tuesday.

Given the circumstances, rumours of Awal’s resignation began making the rounds as well. The current EC chief also said he is prepared to resign.

According to media reports, the current commission had tried to meet President Shahabuddin for a month but has not been able to. It is not yet confirmed whether there is a meeting scheduled with the president on Sept 5.

This is not the first time in Bangladesh that the entire commission has left before the completion of its term. The Justice MA Aziz-led commission had to resign after the military-backed caretaker government of Fakhruddin Ahmed came to power following the declaration of a state of emergency on Jan 11, 2007.

Among the judges who took charge as the CEC, Md Idris and ATM Masud and former bureaucrats MA Sayeed, ATM Shamsul Huda, Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and KM Nurul Huda completed their five-year tenures.

There was no law to form the Election Commission in Bangladesh for a long time. Before the formation of the new commission in 2022, a new law was suddenly enacted. Five people, including Kazi Habibul Awal, took charge of the first commission under that law.

It is not yet clear how long the current interim cabinet will last, or when the next election will take place. The parliamentary election will be held under a new constitutional body following the resignation of the Awal-led commission.

Awal said he believes it his ‘duty’ to leave some proposals for the future for the government’s consideration from his experience, knowledge and perception drawn from the present and the past.

In his words, due to the ‘homogeneity’ of the population of Bangladesh, a numerically representative (party-based) election system could be ideal for the country.

"At the same time, conducting the election in four or eight phases, with a 3-5 day break between each phase, can be easy and helpful in terms of management."

Highlighting the initiative taken by the outgoing commission to file nomination papers online and recommending an increase in the use of technology in the election process, Awal said: “Moreover, if every general election is held under a non-partisan caretaker government, the objective can be more easily ensured."