Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 06, 2024, 06:00 AM
Bangladesh News: The situation in Bangladesh is not normal. The country has witnessed an incident which has happened for the first time in its history. On Thursday, the five-member Election Commission headed by Bangladesh Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal resigned from his post. This incident has come to light after the formation of the interim government in the country and this is the first time that an election commission has resigned without completing its term.Kazi Habibul Awal was appointed Chief Election Commissioner in February 2022. After resigning, Awal said in a press conference that there is no such example in the 53-year history of Bangladesh that the Election Commission has voluntarily resigned without completing its term.There was a massive protest outside the Nirvachan Bhawan located in Agargaon area of the capital Dhaka, in which army personnel were deployed. The protesters were raising slogans against Awal and other members of the commission. Meanwhile, there was widespread criticism against the Election Commission, especially for the general election held on January 7, which was boycotted by the opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In this election, Sheikh Hasina's party Awami League came to power for the fourth consecutive time.The resignation of the Election Commission may be a sign of a new instability in Bangladesh politics, and it shows that political discontent and disputes are deepening in the country. After this development, it will be important to keep an eye on the political future and democratic processes in Bangladesh.This has never happened beforeAddressing a press conference at his office, Awal said that in the 53-year history of Bangladesh, there is no example of an Election Commission voluntarily resigning without completing its term. The Chief Election Commissioner and other commissioners - Brigadier General (Retired) Mohammad Ahsan Habib Khan, Rashida Sultana, Mohammad Alamgir and Mohammad Anisur Rahman - resigned on August 5, exactly a month after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government.Criticism of Election CommissionThe Election Commission faced criticism especially for holding the general election on January 7, which was boycotted by most parties, including the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). In this election, Sheikh Hasina's party Awami League was re-elected for the fourth consecutive time.