The police detained former chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda from the capital鈥檚 Uttara area Sunday evening.
He was detained hours after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party filed a case with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station against ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, three former chief election commissioners and 20 others for their roles in three controversial national elections held in 2014, 2018 and 2024.
An angry mob cordoned the former CEC in the capital鈥檚 Uttara area and put a 鈥榞arland of shoes鈥� on him in the presence of the police, according to a video of the incident that went viral on social media.
The metropolitan police鈥檚 detective branch joint commissioner for south and admin, Mohammad Nasirul Islam, said that the police rescued Nurul Huda from agitated people and handed him over to a DB team at about 7:30pm on Sunday.
鈥楬e was taken to the DB office on Mintoo Road in the city at about 8:00pm,鈥� he added.
He said that the former CEC would be produced before a metropolitan magistrate court in Dhaka showing him arrested in the case filed with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station
BNP national executive committee member Salahuddin Khan filed the case with the police station Sunday morning against 24 people, including former chief election commissioners, EC commissioners and other officials involved in conducting the 10th, 11th and 12th national elections alleging irregularities and partisan conduct.
The named accused in the case include ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her government鈥檚 home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former CECs Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, KM Nurul Huda and Kazi Habibul Awal, former election commissioners retired Brigadier General Ahsan Habib, Alamgir Hossain and Anisur Rahman, and former inspectors general of police Javed Patowari and Benazir Ahmed, according to the case documents. 聽聽
鈥榃e have recorded the case. The plaintiff named 24 people, including three former CECs, as accused in the case,鈥� Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station officer-in-charge Emaul Haque told 抖阴精品.
He said that although the case did not mention any particular unnamed accused, it said that other people were also involved in manipulating the elections.
The BNP said in the case that 153 Awami League candidates were elected unopposed in the 2014 parliamentary election, boycotted by the BNP and other opposition political parties. The election was led by CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad.
In the 11th election, held in December 2018 under CEC KM Nurul Huda, the BNP alleged ballot-stuffing at the night before the voting day.
The 12th election in 2024, overseen by CEC Kazi Habibul Awal, was branded by the BNP as a 鈥榙ummy election鈥�. The election was also boycotted by the BNP and other opposition political parties.
The Awami League regime was ousted on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising and Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government took over the office three days later.聽
Earlier this month, chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus instructed the authorities to form a committee to investigate the roles of those involved in conducting the three elections.
On Sunday, the BNP submitted a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner alleging large-scale irregularities and electoral misconduct during the country鈥檚 11th National Parliamentary Election held in 2018.
In the letter, signed by BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, accused the then EC, government officials, and ruling party affiliates of colluding to obstruct a fair electoral process.
BNP claimed that its candidates and those from the Jatiya Oikya Front faced widespread attacks, arrests, and intimidation throughout the election period.
It alleged that, despite earlier assurances from the EC about a neutral electoral environment, law enforcement agencies, with backing from the commission and the then ruling party, carried out coordinated crackdowns on opposition leaders and supporters after the election schedule was announced.
The party further claimed that 13 people were killed and 16 of its candidates were severely injured during the campaign, with opposition campaign activities being disrupted nationwide.
The letter also accused the commission and the law enforcement of facilitating midnight voting alleging that ballot boxes were stuffed with votes for ruling party candidates before the polling day.
The BNP stated that it had submitted at least seven formal memorandums to the commission during the election period but received no substantive response.
Instead, the party alleged, the commission aided the manipulation by publishing results it deemed unconstitutional and contrary to electoral laws.
The letter also listed numerous officials鈥攊ncluding district commissioners, police and election officers, and senior members of agencies like Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, National Security Intelligence, Special Branch, and DGFI鈥攚hom it accused of direct involvement in the alleged vote rigging.
Concluding the letter, Mirza Fakhrul urged the current CEC to take immediate legal action against those responsible and to annul the 2018 results.
