Ex-CEC Habibul Awal denied bail, jailed over treason charges

A Dhaka court on Sunday denied bail to former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal and ordered him to jail following a three-day police remand in a sedition and election fraud case.

Awal was produced before the court after his remand expired, where his lawyer Md. Shafiul Alam sought bail. 

Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki opposed the plea. 

After hearing both sides, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate GM Farhan Ishtiaq rejected the bail petition and sent Awal to jail.

The case, filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, accuses Awal and several high-profile political and administrative figures of undermining constitutional responsibilities, voter intimidation, election rigging and unlawfully declaring candidates as winners without public votes during previous national elections.

The case was filed on June 22 by BNP’s National Executive Committee member Salauddin Khan, alleging that the Election Commission, under Awal and others, staged fraudulent elections by using threats, enforced disappearances, killings and mass arrests to suppress opposition participation. 

The case was later updated to include charges of treason, fraud and embezzlement.

Awal was arrested by Detective Branch (DB) police on June 25 from Moghbazar area in Dhaka. 

On June 26, the court granted a three-day remand for his interrogation.

The case names over 20 individuals, including former CECs Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and KM Nurul Huda, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former police chiefs, senior election officials and members of law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

According to the complaint, thousands of voters were denied the right to vote and opposition activists were systematically removed from the electoral process. 

Witnesses include disenfranchised voters, election officials and members of law enforcement deployed during the elections.

The investigation is ongoing. 

MAL/SH