[🇧🇩] Former CEC's and EC's are getting arrested for favoring Awami League in the past elections.

[Saif]

2024 elections was a 'dummy one', farcical one, admits ex-CEC Habibul Awal

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal told the court that the 2024 national elections was a "dummy" election and described it as farcical elections.

en.prothomalo.com

2024 elections was a 'dummy one', farcical one, admits ex-CEC Habibul Awal

Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 26 Jun 2025, 17: 44

Former CEC Habibul Awal is taken away from the court to the custody by police members on 26 June 2025. Asaduzzaman

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Kazi Habibul Awal told the court that the 2024 national election was a "dummy" election and described it as farcical elections.

He said the lack of consensus among political parties led to the dummy elections in 2024.

Habibul Awal made the remarks in response to questions from Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka, Md Mostafizur Rahman, during a hearing at his court today, Thursday.

Following such reply from Habibul Awal, the court asked him, why he did not resign then? Habibul Awal avoided answering the question, stating that no CEC in Bangladesh had ever resigned in the past.

Speaking at the court, Habibul Awal later also referred to irregularities in the elections held under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1973 and during the controversial one held in 1996.

The court granted a three-day remand for Habibul Awal under a case filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station, accusing him of depriving the public of their voting rights through a farcical election involving "nighttime ballot stuffing". Police had initially sought a 10-day remand.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed arresting Habibul Awal under this case from Moghbazar area in the capital on Wednesday morning.

Earlier on Sunday, another former CEC KM Nurul Huda was arrested in connection with the same case. The court granted a four-day remand for him the next day, Monday.

BNP executive committee member Salah Uddin Khan filed the case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station in the capital on Sunday naming 24 individuals including three former CECs on accusation of holding farcical elections.

The case accuses Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, who was the CEC during the national elections of 2014, KM Nurul Huda, the CEC during the national elections of 2018, and Kazi Habibul Awal, the CEC during the national elections of 2024.

The CMM court also approved a request made by the police from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar station to add charges to the case under sections of sedition laws.

Other accused in the case filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station include former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ousted during the July mass uprising, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former inspectors general of police Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, Javed Patwary, and AKM Shahidul Haque, among others.​

 

[Saif]

Former CEC Nurul Huda on 4-day fresh remand

A former CEC, KM Nurul Huda is accused of disenfranchising the people by conducting a farcical election, including alleged ballot-stuffing at night.

en.prothomalo.com

Former CEC Nurul Huda on 4-day fresh remand
Staff CorrespondentDhaka
Published: 27 Jun 2025, 18: 28

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda being taken to court on 23 June 2025 Prothom Alo

A Dhaka court placed former chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on a four-day remand for the second time in a case filed with the capital’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station.

He is accused of disenfranchising the people by conducting a farcical election, including alleged ballot-stuffing at night.

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court passed the order today, Friday.

The remand petition was submitted to the CMM court by the case's investigation officer, sub-inspector Shamsuzzoha Sarkar.

Nurul Huda was brought to court for a hearing on the remand plea after 2:30 pm.

Earlier on Monday, the police requested a 10-day remand for Nurul Huda, while the court granted a four-day remand for him.

A mob barged into the residence of the former CEC, harassed him and then handed him over to the police on Sunday evening. Later, the police showed him arrested in a case filed by the BNP.

Salah Uddin Khan, a member of the BNP’s central executive committee, filed the case with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on the same day.

The accused are three former chief election commissioners – Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad (2014 election), KM Nurul Huda (2018 election), and Kazi Habibul Awal (2024 election).​

 

[Saif]

We’re searching for others involved in farcical election: Prosecution

The prosecution argued that they are searching for others involved in that farcical election and that Nurul Huda should be questioned again

en.prothomalo.com

Nurul Huda’s remand hearing
We’re searching for others involved in farcical election: Prosecution

Asaduzzaman Dhaka
Updated: 28 Jun 2025, 12: 51

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda being taken to court on 23 June 2025 Prothom Alo

The prosecution on Friday said former chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda provided information regarding various allegations, including the ‘ballot stuffing at night’ in the 2018 election. He revealed the information during a four-day remand interrogation.

The prosecution argued that they are searching for others involved in that farcical election and that Nurul Huda should be questioned again for more information.

Following the end of a four-day remand, Nurul Huda was produced before Dhaka’s chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) court on Friday afternoon in a case filed by a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader over conducting a controversial election.

Sub-inspector of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station and the case investigating officer, Shamsuzzoha Sarkar, submitted a fresh plea seeking a 10-day remand for further interrogation.

Chief public prosecutor (PP) of the Dhaka metropolitan sessions court, Omar Faruq Faruqi, placed arguments, highlighting violence and irregularities during the 2018 election, as well as mentioning the need to identify the others involved.

Nurul Huda was brought to the CMM court in a black-glassed microbus around 2:30 pm. Police were seen escorting him out after being held in the court custody for about an hour.

He was wearing a police helmet, with both hands cuffed behind his back. Nurul Huda walked with his head bowed from the detention gate to the courtroom elevator. He was then taken to the ninth floor of the courtroom around 3:40 pm.

Once placed in the courtroom dock, Nurul Huda stood with his head down. A police constable removed the handcuffs from behind his back and then took off his helmet. Nurul Huda remained standing while holding onto the iron railing of the dock.

After that, his lawyer Obaidul Islam approached and began speaking with him. Ten minutes later, magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Junaid entered the courtroom at 3:50 pm.

At that point, sub-inspector Shamsuzzoha Sarkar, standing in the witness dock, began presenting five arguments for taking Nurul Huda into remand.

Police’s arguments for remand

Investigating officer Shamsuzzoha told the court, “I interrogated Nurul Huda during the four-day remand, following the court’s order. He has provided a large volume of information related to the allegations, including the ballot stuffing at night during the 2018 election. A further 10-day remand is necessary to verify and cross-check the information given by Nurul Huda.”

Shamsuzzoha further said, “The pieces of information Nurul Huda provided are about documents. Those documents need to be recovered for the sake of investigation of the case. He has to be interrogated on remand again to recover the documents.”

The police official further said, “A staged election was held in 2018 when Nurul Huda was the chief election commissioner. This was an orchestrated crime committed at an office. He should be taken on remand to uncover how the staged parliamentary election was organised, maintaining communication with other offices at the order of Nurul Huda.”

Police official Shamsuzzoha also told the court, “It is essential to uncover the information related to the implementation of the budget of the 2018 parliamentary election. That is why he has to be quizzed.”

What the PP says

Following the investigation officer’s presentation, PP Omar Faruq Faruqui presented the arguments before the court for granting a fresh 10-day remand of Nurul Huda.

“We quizzed Nurul Huda on four-day remand. He spelt out many important information in the interrogation but, as per the law, we are not disclosing those for the sake of the investigation. All of those details will come to light as soon as the investigation officer submits the report,” he said.

PP Omar Faruq Faruqui further said, “Honourable court, you know parliamentary election is a huge task. Like the election commissioners, election commission secretary, 64 deputy commissioners, police supers and 1.6-1.7 million (16-17 lacs) officials and employees remain involved in the electoral process. A number of returning officers and presiding officers were also involved with the process of voting at night (vote rigging) in 2018.”

“Nurul Huda held the voting at night to bring fascist Sheikh Hasina to power again. Following his order, many presiding officers organised the voting at night. Fascist Sheikh Hasina’s former cabinet members, MPs and many leaders and activists of her party were also involved with this ballot stuffing. We are looking for all the people involved with this mockery of the election. Nurul Huda should be interrogated more on remand for information related to the people who were involved with such a huge vote rigging,” he insisted.

According to the PP, “Several lacs of members of the armed forces, police, RAB (Rapid Action Battalion), BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) remain under the supervision of the election commission after the announcement of the election schedule. The post of the chief election commissioner is a constitutional one. The chief election commissioner and other election commissioners enjoy the highest authority during the polls. Police arrested thousands of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders and activists by filing ‘gayebi mamla’ (fictitious cases) against them before the 2018 election, houses of some of the candidates were vandalised and set on fire. Jatiya Oikya Front, a BNP-led coalition, was contesting the election at that time. BNP submitted written complaints to the election commission but, being the chief election commissioner, Nurul Huda did not take any action at that time.”

PP Omar Faruq Faruqui further said to the court, “Fascist Sheikh Hasina had nominated Minhaj Ahmed Javed, the younger brother of former army chief Moeen U Ahmed, for the Noakhali-3 (Begumganj) constituency as the Awami League candidate. In opposition to him, an unfamiliar female Awami League leader was fielded.”

Upon hearing this, the court asked PP Omar Faruq Faruqui, “Was any relative of the former chief election commissioner Nurul Huda an MP?”

In response, the PP said, “While holding a constitutional post, Nurul Huda abused his power to get his nephew SM Shahzada elected as an MP from the Patuakhali-3 (Dashmina-Galachipa) constituency.”

Then the court further asked the PP, who had served as the secretary of the election commission during Nurul Huda’s term as the chief election commissioner.

In response, Omar Faruq Faruqui said, “During the 2018 election, an election where voting took place at night instead of during the day, the secretary of Nurul Huda’s election commission was Helaluddin Ahmed.”

Arguments by Nurul Huda’s lawyers against remand

Nurul Huda’s legal team strongly opposed the appeal for putting him on remand again for 10 days. In response to the Public Prosecutor’s (PP) arguments, Nurul Huda’s lawyer Tawhidul Islam told the court, “Your Honour, the state has submitted the same grounds today for putting Nurul Huda on remand as they did four days ago. However, the application makes no mention of any developments made during those four days of remand.”

Advocate Tawhidul continued, “When the state first appealed to put Nurul Huda on remand four days ago, there was no charge of sedition. At that time, we had argued that all the sections under which the case has been filed against Nurul Huda are bailable. Since the charges were bailable, the sedition allegation has been brought up solely to justify his continued detention.”

He further argued, “According to the law, a sedition case cannot be filed by an individual. Only the government can file a sedition case. Plus, prior approval from the government is required before proceeding with a sedition case as per Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. In this instance we notice that the sedition charge has been added without any prior approval from the government.”

The advocate further stated, “Nurul Huda has committed no act of sedition. Section 124A of the Penal Code defines sedition as when a person, through written or spoken words, incites hatred or contempt against the government. My client Nurul Huda has not shown hatred or contempt against any government.”

He added, “A sedition case cannot proceed without prior approval from the government. From a legal standpoint, the case is flawed.”

Advocate Tawhidul continued, “The state has cited as the reason for putting Nurul Huda on remand is to recover budget-related documents. But can a sub-inspector assess such financial information or determine revenue and expenditure? There are separate institutions such as the Comptroller and Auditor General and the National Board of Revenue to question about records on budget-related revenue and expenditure.”

Following the argument made by Nurul Huda’s advocate, PP Omar Faruq Faruqi stood up and stated, “Your Honour, there is no obligation to get prior approval from government at the time of filing a sedition case. The police would get the approval in a sedition case before submitting the investigation report after the investigation has been completed.”

“Also, a Magistrate’s Court cannot take sedition charges to cognisance. The charge sheet in a sedition case must be submitted to a District or Metropolitan Session Judge Court, where a district judge will take cognizance of the charges,” he added.

At this point, another legal counsel of Nurul Huda, Obaidul Islam stated, “Your Honour, he is an elderly man of over 80 years old and he is unwell. He is also a freedom fighter. If questioning is necessary, let him to be interrogated at the jail gate.”

During the hour-long hearing, Nurul Huda stood in the dock with his head bowed. After both sides concluded their arguments, the court approved another four-day remand of Nurul Huda for further interrogation. As the proceedings concluded, Huda was again handcuffed with his hands behind his back and a helmet was placed on his head before police officers escorted him to the court custody.​

 

[Saif]

Ex-CEC Nurul Huda gives court statement over BNP sedition case

Former chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has given a statement before a Dhaka court in a case that accuses him of sedition and conducting a general election without the public vote. He was brought before the court on Tuesday, after two rounds of questioning totalling eight days. The

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Ex-CEC Nurul Huda gives court statement over BNP sedition case

bdnews24.com
Published :
Jul 01, 2025 19:47
Updated :
Jul 01, 2025 19:47

Former chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has given a statement before a Dhaka court in a case that accuses him of sedition and conducting a general election without the public vote.

He was brought before the court on Tuesday, after two rounds of questioning totalling eight days.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Inspector Syed Sajedur Rahman, the case’s investigating officer, submitted a plea to record Huda’s confession, saying he had agreed to speak “voluntarily”.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziadur Rahman is recording the statement, said Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam of the prosecution division of the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

BNP National Executive Committee member Salahuddin Khan lodged the case at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on Jun 22.

The case accuses three former CECs -- Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad (2014), Huda (2018), and Kazi Habibul Awal (2024) -- along with election commissioners who served during their respective terms.

Also named are ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and former inspectors general of police Hassan Mahmud Khandaker, AKM Shahidul Hoque, Javed Patwary, Benazir Ahmed and Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.

Huda was arrested on the day the case was filed.

He was grilled by police for four days following court approval the next day.

On Jun 27, he was sent for another four-day round of interrogation.

According to the case details, BNP leaders and activists were pushed out of the election process in all three general electiona through “mass arrests, intimidation, enforced disappearances, killings and trumped-up charges”.

The complaint says that despite holding constitutional positions, the accused violated the Constitution, breached electoral laws, interfered unlawfully in the voting process as government officials, and falsely declared candidates as elected MPs without securing public votes -- actions considered criminal under the law.

It claims that voters from every polling centre, especially those who were prevented from casting ballots, along with presiding officers, police personnel, and local residents, could serve as witnesses.

The seals and signatures on the ballot papers, if scrutinised, would reveal whether the votes were genuinely cast.

The charges against them include sedition, fraud, and embezzlement.

After Huda, former CEC Awal has also been arrested. Police have secured his remand as well.​

 

[Saif]

Former CEC Nurul Huda confesses to election mockery at court

The investigation officer said the former CEC volunteered to give confessional statements in the case, prompting them to produce him.

en.prothomalo.com

Former CEC Nurul Huda confesses to election mockery at court
UNB
Updated: 01 Jul 2025, 21: 15

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda being taken to court on 23 June 2025 Prothom Alo

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Tuesday gave a confessional statement before a Dhaka court in a case filed over a fabricated election and sedition, admitting to conducting a mockery of an election.

Dhaka Additional Chief Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jiahdur Rahman recorded the statement after he was produced before the court upon completion of eight-day remand in two phrases, said sub-inspector of Sher-e-Bangla Nargar Police Station Shamsuzzoha Sarkar, also investigation officer of the case.

The IO said the former CEC volunteered to give confessional statements in the case, prompting them to produce him.

On 22 June, BNP filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station accusing 24 people, including former Chief Election Commissioners, Election Commissioners and other officials involved in conducting the 10th, 11th and 12th national elections, of irregularities and biased conduct.

According to the case statement, the 2014, 2018, and 2024 general elections were manipulated and held in a partisan manner, despite repeated calls for a non-partisan caretaker government and the deployment of army personnel with magistracy powers during polling.

In the evening of the same day, police detained Nurul Huda from his residence in Uttara, Dhaka.

Later, a Dhaka court placed him on a four-day remand, and on 27 June, his remand was extended for another four days.

On 29 June, police also detained former CEC Kazi Habibul Awal in connection with the case.​

 

[Saif]

NSI, DGFI controlled the 2018 voting

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has admitted before the court that vote rigging took place in the 2018 parliamentary elections, including the stuffing of ballot boxes with sealed ballot papers the night before polling day. In his statement to the court, he said that...

en.prothomalo.com

Former CEC’s statement
NSI, DGFI controlled the 2018 voting

Asaduzzaman Dhaka
Updated: 03 Jul 2025, 16: 05

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda has admitted before the court that vote rigging took place in the 2018 parliamentary elections, including the stuffing of ballot boxes with sealed ballot papers the night before polling day.

In his statement to the court, he further said that various irregularities, including the ballot box stuffing, occurred due to the direct interference of the Awami League.

Nurul Huda claimed that he later realised that the entire electoral system was controlled by officials of the intelligence agencies National Security Intelligence (NSI) and Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI).

The 11th National Parliament elections were held on 30 December 2018. Immediately following the election, allegations of vote rigging became a subject of widespread discussion both within the country and abroad.

Nearly seven years later, the then chief election commissioner himself has brought up the matter of electoral irregularities in a statement recorded under Section 164 of the Penal Code. His statement has been confirmed by relevant sources.

Former CEC Nurul Huda gave the confessional statement under Section 164 of the Penal Code at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka on Tuesday. The statement was recorded by Additional CMM Md. Ziadur Rahman of the CMM Court.

Nurul Huda was arrested on 22 June in a case filed by a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station in the capital on charges of vote rigging.

After the elections, I examined the result sheets and saw that in many centres, 90 to 100 per cent of the votes were cast, which I did not find acceptable. I also heard that in many centres, ballot boxes were stuffed with ballots during the night. The voting took place at night----Former CEC Nurul Huda in a confessional statement before the court.

The day after his arrest, he told the court in his defence that the 2018 election was indeed controversial. He also claimed that the election commission was not responsible for that controversy.

Following this, he was taken into police custody for eight days of remand in two phases and was interrogated. He is currently in jail.

Another former CEC, Kazi Habibul Awal, is also in jail after being arrested in the same case.

On election day, 30 December, the BNP submitted a written complaint to the election commission, stating, "In at least 150 constituencies, ballots were sealed and stuffed into boxes the night before the election."

In response to questions from journalists at a press conference on 31 December, the day after the election, Nurul Huda had said, "This is completely untrue. The Commission is completely satisfied with this election."

The then NSI and DGFI officials controlled the election system

In his statement to the court, Nurul Huda described the role played by the then ruling party, the Awami League, party leaders and activists, officials and employees involved in the electoral process, the police administration, and intelligence agency officers in the irregularities surrounding the 2018 parliamentary elections.

Outsiders snatch and smash the ballot box at the polling centre. Several people were seen picking up the scattered ballot papers. The incident took place at the Pashchim Belashwar Government Primary School centre in Chandina, Cumilla, during the 11th parliamentary elections on 30 December 2018.

In his statement, the former CEC said, "I believe that the then ruling party, through a centralised plan and in collusion with some corrupt officials of the administration and police, committed irregularities and manipulated votes in the 2018 parliamentary elections during the night. Unusually, 100 per cent voter turnout was shown in some constituencies, which has called into question the credibility of the elections."

Nurul Huda also stated that the irregularities occurred due to the direct intervention of the then ruling party, saying, "I believe that some overly enthusiastic government officials and employees became involved in election irregularities."

The former CEC also referred to the unusual results of the 2018 elections in his statement. He said, "After the elections, I examined the result sheets and saw that in many centres, 90 to 100 per cent of the votes were cast, which I did not find acceptable. I also heard that in many centres, ballot boxes were stuffed with ballots during the night. The voting took place at night."

Nurul Huda also stated in his statement who, in his view, were involved in these activities.

He said, "I believe this incident occurred under the influence of the ruling party Awami League with the cooperation of their party workers, the police in charge, the returning officers, and the assistant returning officers. The then ruling party Awami League is entirely responsible for this incident. I believe that this anarchic situation and electoral irregularities were carried out while keeping me and the other commission members in the dark."

The former CEC also implicated top officials of Bangladesh’s two main intelligence agencies. “I later came to understand that the entire election system was being controlled by the intelligence agencies—NSI and DGFI,” he told the court. “The ballot boxes were filled with sealed ballots before the election day. Voting was conducted in several constituencies in abnormal ways that undermined the credibility of the election.”

The National Security Intelligence (NSI) operates under the Prime Minister’s Office, while the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) is under the Ministry of Defence.

During the 2018 election, NSI was led by Maj. Gen. (retd.) TM Zubair and DGFI by Maj. Gen. (retd.) Md. Saiful Abedin.

I find his role suspicious. Since he came from the administration cadre, it was possible for him to influence both the returning officers and assistant returning officers
Former CEC Nurul Huda on former EC secretary Helaluddin Ahmed.

Both former intelligence chiefs are currently under investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for allegedly amassing wealth beyond their known sources of income. Their bank accounts have been frozen, and the court has imposed a travel ban at the ACC’s request.

Efforts to contact Saiful Abedin and T M Zubair for comment on Nurul Huda’s statement were unsuccessful.

Police members were involved

In his statement, Nurul Huda said that many members of the police were involved in stuffing ballot boxes during the night. “The police officers working at the time did not cooperate with me in any way. They withheld the truth from me. In some cases, I heard that they themselves had stuffed the ballot boxes the night before. I received complaints of mass arrests of BNP leaders and activists before the election. I spoke with senior police officials about this. They told me that arrest warrants had been issued by the court against those individuals.”

He claimed that he was unable to take any action in this matter.

He further said, “This anarchic situation and the electoral irregularities were carried out while keeping me and my fellow commission members in the dark. We were quite embarrassed by it. Since we do not have the authority to cancel the election after the gazette has been published, I could not annul the election.”

Nurul Huda added, “The election commission conducts elections through returning officers and assistant returning officers. But I believe these officials were influenced by the then ruling party and kept the election commission completely in the dark, creating opportunities for vote rigging in the 2018 election.”

A member of the committee, Md. Abdul Alim told Prothom Alo on Wednesday that Nurul Huda could have resigned from his position. Instead, he continued to support the then government.

Explaining the lack of direct complaints, he said, “There may be two reasons why I did not receive any complaints regarding the 2018 11th National Parliament election. First, officials and staff on the ground may have been silenced with money, without my knowledge. Secondly, many employees—including Ansars and schoolteachers—were likely afraid of losing their jobs due to political pressure.

However, I believe that those in power at the time, and who later came to power through the election, distributed money to selected beneficiaries in an organised, centralised manner and conducted the voting the night before election day—because they held political authority at the time.

Helal Uddin Ahmed was the secretary of the election commission during the 2018 election. He is currently in jail after being arrested in a murder case following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in the wake of a mass uprising.

Regarding Helal Uddin Ahmed’s role, Nurul Huda said, “I find his role suspicious. Since he came from the administration cadre, it was possible for him to influence both the returning officers and assistant returning officers.”

Emphasising the importance of political goodwill in ensuring free and fair elections, Nurul Huda said, “It is not possible to hold a neutral election under the instigation and interference of the ruling party. I believe that, in such circumstances, some overly enthusiastic government officials and employees became involved in election irregularities.”

He also informed the court about his nephew, SM Shahzada, becoming a Member of Parliament from the Patuakhali-3 constituency with the ruling Awami League’s boat symbol. “In the 2018 election, my nephew (SM Shahzada) became an MP candidate from the Patuakhali-3 constituency. He was elected on the ruling party’s symbol. I had no involvement in his nomination. He had long been involved in local politics, although he did not hold any official position. Still, as my nephew, it seems he received some added visibility.”

Statements from the defence and prosecution

Speaking about the allegation of holding the election at night instead of during the day, Nurul Huda’s lawyer Obaidul Islam told Prothom Alo, “My client, Nurul Huda, has been arrested simply to harass him. We do not know whether he has said anything in his statement that implicates himself.”

On the other hand, Chief Public Prosecutor (PP) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, Omar Faruq Faruqui, told Prothom Alo, “Even after learning about the electoral irregularities, Nurul Huda did not take any action. Instead, by allowing vote stuffing at night, he brought Sheikh Hasina to power.”

All three elections were controversial

All three national elections held during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister ousted in a student-led mass uprising, have been subject to controversy.

The 2014 election was one-sided, the 2018 election became known as the “night vote”, and the 2024 election has been dubbed the “dummy vote”.

Former election commissioner, the late Mahbub Talukder, expressed regret in an interview with Prothom Alo about the 30 December 2018 election, saying, “The 11th National Parliamentary Election brought us nothing but the disgrace of failure.”

To investigate the allegations surrounding these three controversial national elections, the interim government formed a committee on 26 June.

A member of the committee, Md. Abdul Alim told Prothom Alo on Wednesday that Nurul Huda could have resigned from his position. Instead, he continued to support the then government.

He added that had Nurul Huda resigned, the government might have harassed him, but the nation would have regarded him as a hero.

When asked whether the investigation committee has begun its work, Abdul Alim said they will begin very soon.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition in Bangla, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat​