CEC, all four election commissioners resign

Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal and all four election commissioners resigned today.
According to a press release from the Bangabhaban Press Wing issued in the afternoon, the president accepted resignations of the CEC and all the election commissioners.
At a press briefing held at the EC office today, Habibul announced the resignations.
The four commissioners are Brig Gen (retd) Ahsan Habib Khan, Rashida Sultana, Md Alamgir and Anisur Rahman.The chief election commissioner said they are resigning from their posts due to the ongoing changed situation in the country.
“We have submitted our resignation letters to the EC secretary. He will hand these over to the president,” he said.
However, Election Commissioners Rashida and Anisur were not present at the briefing.
Contacted, Anisur Rahman confirmed The Daily Star that he has also resigned from his post. 
Meanwhile, Rashida said that due to her illness, she could not attend the press conference, and that she has also resigned. 
People were seen demonstrating in front of the EC office. They also threw shoes targeting the vehicles carrying the commissioners when they were going out of the office.
The resignation came 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 earlier, wishing not to be named. The Awal-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, many of whom were AL aligned, to make the polls appear participatory.
While reading out the written statement, the CEC said that there was no constitutional basis to postpone or cancel the election, which is why many blame the commission.
“It is clearly mentioned in the constitution when and for how long an election can be postponed. In the past, no commission has resigned after cancelling an election,” he said.
The CEC explained that holding an election is a very difficult task, and all the blame or responsibility for an unacceptable election is always placed solely on the Election Commission.
A commission may be dishonest or biased, he said.
“But not all commissions are always dishonest or biased. The commission may be unable to hold acceptable elections for various reasons.
“In the current system, we believe that a free, fair election—free from black money, muscle power, and the influence of the administration and police—cannot be ensured by merely restructuring the commission. Fundamental reforms will be needed in the electoral system. Changes will be required in political culture and behaviour, especially in the behaviour of candidates,” he added.
He also mentioned that the 2024 election was largely a one-party affair, meaning there was no need to rig or influence the government.
“The election was held within the party, not between parties,” he said.
He acknowledged that the election has been controversial due to its lack of inclusiveness, saying that the criticism is valid and reasonable.
Based on his experience and knowledge, the CEC made some proposals.
“Due to the homogeneity of the Bangladeshi population, Bangladesh could be an ideal setting for a proportional representative (party-based) election. Additionally, it could be easier and more effective to organise the election in four to eight phases, with a break of 3 to 5 days between each phase.
“It would be beneficial if we continued to optimise the use of technology in the election process, including the online nomination submission system that we introduced. Moreover, holding every general election under a non-party caretaker government could further ensure the achievement of the election’s objectives,” he said.