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DHAKA, June 26, 2025 (BSS)- Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal today admitted that he had arranged a ‘dummy election’ in 2024, but rejected any allegations of financial embezzlement or corruption against him.
“I confess that I arranged a dummy election. The one-sided election was held as political parties could not reach to a consensus in lack of their political understanding. But there is no question of taking bribe for the election as I was never indulged in financial irregularities or corruption in my life”, he said.
The former CEC gave this statement in response to a question from Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman during a hearing at the CMM Court.
About the allegation of casting vote in the night, Kazi Habibul Awal said, “I was in deep sleep when ballots were sealed at night.”
Awal was brought to the CMM court around 12:50pm and kept in the court's lock-up. At 1:25pm, he was produced before the magistrate.
About an allegation of giving Taka four to five lakh to each electoral official of 2024 election as allowance comparing to Taka 20,000/25,000 for previous elections, Habibul Awal said he doesn’t know anything about it.
The court told him, “the nation had huge expectation on you, but you could not hold a controversy-free election.”
In reply the former CEC asked the court which election in Bangladesh was held without any controversy.
“Even in the polls of 1973 soon after independence, the leader like Sheikh Mujib had resorted to vote rigging,” he said adding “It was due to greediness for the power which is dangerous.”
Habibul Awali told the court that no election in Bangladesh will be fair and neutral even in the next one thousand years under a political government. For this, it will require reform, he added.
During the hearing Public Prosecutor (PP) Omar Farque Faruqui claimed that Habibul Awal, ahead of the 2024 polls, assured Sheikh Hasina of declaring her party winner in the dummy elections in exchange of bribe.
The PP demanded punishment of Habibul Awal so that such kind of heinous election commissioner never comes in the country.
However, the defense lawyer prayed for the bail of Habibul Awal on the ground that the former CEC is 70 years old.
“We should not behave like a fascist when we are talking against the fascism.” he told the court urging for canceling the remand of the accused.
After nearly half an hour of hearing, the court granted three-day remand of Habibul Awal.
Sub-inspector Shamsuzzoha Sarkar of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thana submitted the petition seeking a 10-day remand of Habibul Awal for proper investigation of the case.
Police arrested Habibul Awal from city's Moghbazar area yesterday in connection with a case filed by a BNP leader with city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar thana on the allegation of depriving people of their voting rights through farcical elections in 2024 and casting votes the night before the poll day.
BNP Executive Committee member Salah Uddin Khan filed the case on Sunday against three former CEC and the election commissioners served in the office during 10th, 11th and 12th general elections.
In connection with the case former CEC KM Nurul Huda was arrested last Sunday. However CEC of 10th general election Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad is still at large.
