CEC, all four deputies likely to resign today

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal and all four other election commissioners are likely to resign today.

Several top Election Commission officials yesterday said the CEC and his four deputies — Brig Gen (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan, Rashida Sultana, Md Alamgir and Anisur Rahman — may announce their resignations at a press conference at the EC secretariat at noon today.

Asked about it, Habibul yesterday afternoon told reporters, “I will hold a press conference on the matter tomorrow [today].”

A few minutes after the CEC’s remark, the EC’s public relations department informed the media that the commission will “exchange greetings” with the media at noon today.

At least two top EC officials said the CEC and his four deputies, following their resignations, will ask the EC secretariat to send their resignation letters to President Mohammed Shahabuddin.

The election commissioners are going to resign exactly a month after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5. Hasina quit and fled to India in the face of a student-led mass uprising. The president dissolved the 12th parliament on August 6.

EC officials said the commissioners decided to resign as there is a constitutional obligation for the commission to hold parliamentary polls within 90 days after the dissolution of a parliament.

“But we don’t think the situation is suitable for holding a national election within the stipulated time,” an election commissioner told The Daily Star wishing not to be named.

“The 12th parliament was dissolved after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. An interim government was subsequently formed, but the constitution was not suspended. If this Election Commission stays in office, it may have to stand in the dock in future for violating the constitution,” the commissioner said.

Top EC officials said that the election commissioners had been mentally prepared for stepping down since the fall of Hasina’s government. The commissioners were trying to understand whether they would resign on their own, or the interim government had any other plans in this regard. The commission tried to contact the high-ups of the state for advice, but it did not succeed.

The Habibul-led commission took office on February 27, 2022 for five years.

The EC had been at the centre of controversy during the Awami League rule. The current EC has been criticised for holding the last national polls in which the AL had to field dummy independent candidates to make the polls appear participatory.

The previous EC was criticised for holding parliamentary polls widely believed to be questionable and the one before that held a national election in which 153 MPs were elected unopposed.