Bangladesh arrests Ex-CEC amid election controversy

Dhaka

Kazi Habibul Awal, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of Bangladesh, was arrested on Wednesday by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Police following a case filed by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The case accuses him and others of misconduct during the 2014, 2018, and 2024 general elections.

The arrest was confirmed by DMP spokesman Talebur Rahman, who said Awal was taken into custody in Moghbazar, Dhaka. Earlier this week, the BNP filed a case at Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station naming 24 people, including multiple former CECs and officials, alleging biased conduct and irregularities in past national polls.

On Monday, another former CEC, K.M. Nurul Huda, a veteran of the 1971 Liberation War, was also arrested. Just before his arrest, he was attacked and humiliated publicly—a garland of shoes was placed around his neck by a mob. This incident drew strong condemnation from two human rights organisations and thirty eminent citizens.

The Dhaka court has ordered a four-day remand for Nurul Huda, though police had asked for ten. Critics accuse the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus of using legal cases as a tool of political revenge, especially after the ousting of former PM Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.

The Awami League also condemned the arrest and mob violence, calling it an insult to a decorated freedom fighter. Many observers believe the current actions reflect rising political instability and increased radical influence in governance. Concerns continue to mount over the erosion of democratic values in the country.