HC issues rule asking why ex-CEC Awal should not be granted bail

The High Court today (28 June) issued a rule asking why former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal should not be granted bail in a case filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station over allegations that voters were deprived of their voting rights through "farcical elections", including holding daytime voting at night.

The bench of Justice Md Atowar Rahman and Justice Biswajit Debnath passed the order after hearing Awal's bail petition.

Senior lawyers Shahdeen Malik, SM Shahjahan and Sara Hossain appeared for the petitioner during the hearing. The court directed the state to respond to the rule within two weeks.

Earlier, a Dhaka metropolitan court rejected Awal's bail petition, prompting him to seek bail from the High Court.

Awal was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of police from Dhaka's Moghbazar area on 25 June 2025.

The following day, Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mustafizur Rahman granted police a three-day remand.

He has remained in jail since then.

The case was filed on 22 June 2025 with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station by BNP leader Salahuddin Khan.

The case also names former chief election commissioners Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and KM Nurul Huda; former election commissioners Md Abdul Mobarak, Abu Hena, Brig Gen (retd) Javed Ali, Shah Newaz, Rafiqul Islam, Kabita Khanam, Brig Gen Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury, Brig Gen (retd) Ahsan Habib, Alamgir Hossain and Anisur Rahman; former prime minister Sheikh Hasina; former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal; former inspectors general of police Hasan Mahmud Khandker, Benazir Ahmed, AKM Shahidul Hoque and Javed Patwary; former Special Branch chief Md Monirul Islam; former National Security Intelligence chief and former Dhaka Range DIG Syed Nurul Alam; the then Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner; and the then election secretary.