June 27, 2025
DHAKA – The government has formed a committee to investigate allegations of corruption, irregularities, and criminal activities in the three national elections held in 2014, 2018, and 2024.
A gazette notification issued last night said the committee would also recommend steps to ensure free and fair parliamentary polls in future. It has been asked to submit its report by September 30.
According to Election Commission officials and experts, this is the first time since independence that a government has launched a formal investigation into alleged election irregularities.
All three elections were held when Sheikh Hasina was in power and her party the Awami League won two-thirds majorities.
These elections have been widely criticised at home and abroad, and there are allegations that the then ruling party was elected in these “staged” polls by “undermining” the people’s right to vote in various ways, said the gazette.
“There are also serious allegations against the managers of these elections of violating the obligation of running the state through elected representatives as enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh.
“It is feared that this has endangered the rule of law, democracy and fundamental human rights in the country,” the gazette said.
“… In order to ensure the people’s right to vote in future, safeguard democracy in the country and to prevent the threat of fascism and authoritarian rule, the interim government has decided to investigate the corruption, irregularities and criminal activities committed in these elections,” it added.
The five-member committee is led by Justice Shamim Hasnain, a retired High Court judge and current member of the Law Commission. Other members are: Shamim Al Mamun, former additional secretary; Kazi Mahfuzul Haque (Supan), associate professor of law at Dhaka University; lawyer Tajriyaan Akram Hussain; and election expert Abdul Alim.
Justice Hasnain served at the High Court from 2005 to 2017.
Kazi Mahfuzul was a member of the Judicial Reform Commission, while Alim previously served on the Electoral Reform Commission. Tajriyaan is an advocate at the District and Sessions Judges Court, Dhaka.
The areas of the committee’s work will include analysing reports by election observers, domestic and foreign monitoring organisations and civil society groups, and complaints raised in the media regarding the polls.
It will assess expert opinions on the allegations of corruption, irregularities, and criminal activities in these elections and their overall impartiality and acceptability.
The committee will analyse the role of the Awami League and those involved in limiting the participation of political parties in these elections and obstructing the people’s right to vote.
It will also scrutinise the roles of the former election commissions, their secretariat, administration, law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the election process.
Allegations of financial misconduct by former election commissions will also come under review.
Based on its findings, the committee will determine the responsibility for irregularities.
It will also make recommendations on changes to relevant laws, rules and regulations, the Election Commission and administrative arrangements.
The gazette came just hours after a one-on-one meeting between Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus and Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at the chief adviser’s residence. It follows Yunus’ directive 10 days earlier to probe the election commissions’ role in past irregularities.
In its report in February, the Electoral Reform Commission recommended introducing methods to hold election commissioners accountable for failing to do their constitutional duties. It also called for an investigation into the irregularities by “election commissioners and officials” during the last three national polls.
Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, Electoral Reform Commission Chairman Badiul Alam Majumdar welcomed the investigation, expressing hope that justice would be served and those involved in wrongdoings held accountable.
“As far as I recall, no other government has taken such a step,” he said.
Each of the three elections under review has been marred by serious controversy.
The January 2024 election, conducted by the Kazi Habibul Awal-led EC, was boycotted by major opposition parties, including the BNP. The ruling Awami League fielded independents, many of whom were party insiders, to maintain the illusion of a competitive race.
The December 2018 polls, overseen by the KM Nurul Huda-led commission, faced allegations of ballot-box stuffing on the night before voting. The Jatiya Oikya Front claimed that 30 to 60 percent of votes were cast in advance. A study by Transparency International Bangladesh corroborated this, finding evidence of overnight ballot-box stuffing at more than one centre in 33 of 50 constituencies surveyed.
The January 2014 election, held under former CEC Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, was one-sided. With the BNP and other opposition parties boycotting, 153 MPs were elected unopposed.
The BNP on Sunday filed a case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station against the three former chief election commissioners and 22 others, including Hasina and 11 former election commissioners.
Former CECs Huda and Habibul were arrested in Dhaka on Sunday and Wednesday.