EC to meet press Thursday amid resignation speculation

The Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal, will hold a press briefing on Thursday at noon—the first since the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government.

The event will take place at Nirbachan Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka, according to Shariful Islam, Public Relations Officer of the EC Secretariat.

Speculation is mounting that the CEC and the other commissioners may tender their resignations on September 5, potentially sending their letters directly to the President. Multiple sources within the EC suggest that if no changes occur, the resignations will be formally announced during the press briefing.

Since Sheikh Hasina was deposed on August 5, the Kazi Habibul Awal-led commission has remained silent and has not initiated any local body elections. However, on August 24, the CEC published an article in a Bengali daily, acknowledging the Election Commission's crisis amid the post-revolution constitutional transition.

The current EC has faced widespread criticism, particularly for overseeing the controversial January 7, 2024 general election, which allowed the Awami League to secure a fourth consecutive term. Various political parties, including the BNP, have also questioned the legitimacy of other local elections held under this commission.

Kazi Habibul Awal, a former secretary, was appointed CEC on February 27, 2022, along with commissioners Rashida Sultana, Brig Gen (retd) Md Ahsan Habib Khan, and former secretaries Md Alamgir and Anisur Rahman. This commission was the first to be formed through a search committee process mandated by the constitution, which sought nominations from registered political parties. While the Awami League submitted names, the BNP and other parties chose not to participate in the process.