Ex-CEC Habibul Awal shown arrested in Rubel murder case

Former Chief Election Commissioner Kazi Habibul Awal has been shown arrested in a murder case filed over the killing of garment worker Rubel during the July-August uprising.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashraful Haque passed the order on Sunday after hearing an application from the investigation officer. Awal was produced before the court during the hearing and was later sent to jail.

The prosecution sought his arrest in the case, while his lawyer Tapas Chandra Das opposed the plea.

Awal had earlier secured bail from the High Court in a case filed over criminal breach of trust and sedition. He was arrested from the Moghbazar area on June 25 last year and was later sent to jail after a three-day remand. He obtained High Court bail on September 9 and was awaiting release.

According to the case documents, Rubel was shot during a protest procession at Ring Road in Adabor on August 5, 2024. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Rubel’s father, Rafiqul Islam, filed the murder case with Adabor Police Station on August 22, 2024.