Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal along with all four election commissioners resigned today, in a major development for the country’s Election Commission (EC).
At a press briefing held at the EC office, Mr Awal announced their collective resignations.
The four other commissioners are: Brig Gen (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan, Rashida Sultana, Md Alamgir and Anisur Rahman.
The resignations come amidst significant political upheaval, with the CEC citing ‘the ongoing changed situation in the country’ as the reason for their departure.
"We have submitted our resignation letters to the EC secretary, who will hand them over to the president," the CEC said during the briefing.
However, two of the commissioners—Rashida Sultana and Anisur Rahman—were not present at the press conference.
No clear explanation was given for their absence, though an EC official mentioned that discussions with the two about their absence took place privately.
The resignations came exactly one month after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5, following a student-led uprising.
Hasina fled to India immediately after her fall and on August 6, the president dissolved the 12th parliament.
According to EC officials, the commissioners felt they could not fulfill the constitutional obligation to hold parliamentary elections within 90 days of the dissolution of parliament.
"We don't believe the current situation is suitable for holding national elections in the given timeframe," one of the election commissioners, who wished to remain anonymous, stated earlier.
Mr Awal-led commission, which assumed office on February 27 in 2022, for a five-year term, faced a lot of criticism during its tenure, particularly regarding the conduct of the last national elections in January of this year.
The Election Commission came under fire for its management of the polls, with accusations that the Awami League had to field independent candidates to create the appearance of a participatory election.
Recent tensions also fuelled surrounding the registration of political parties – Nagarik Oikya and Gono Odhikar Parishad – with the CEC reportedly feeling threatened by aggressive behavior from supporters of these groups.
Sources indicate that these security concerns influenced the commissioners' decision to resign.
Earlier this week, CEC Awal and the commissioners briefly vacated the EC office due to these tensions.
Sources within the EC revealed that Rashida Sultana had already returned the tablet used for official work and that all commissioners had begun relocating their personal belongings from the office.
Mr Awal, in line with his decision to resign, had also started moving out of his official residence on Mintoo Road.
Initially, the election commissioners had planned to continue their duties for a few more days.
However, during an informal meeting on Tuesday, CEC Awal took a firm stance on resignation, which led the other commissioners to follow the suit.
As the nation awaits the president's next move, the resignation of the entire Election Commission leaves a significant gap in the country's electoral process, especially with the pressure to hold elections within a constitutionally mandated timeline.
Meanwhile, after the fall of Hasina, an interim government was formed on August 8 to run the country.
At present, Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus is leading a 21-member advisory council of the interim government after the fall of AL government during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.
During his first televised address to the nation on August 25, the chief adviser said interim government would remain in power for as long as the people of Bangladesh desire.
In the meantime on August 31, most political parties during an exchange meetings with Chief Adviser Yunus demanded that the interim government arrange the national election within a reasonable timeframe after promptly completing the necessary state reforms.
BBN/AN/TA