Noman Mosharef :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has announced its decision to investigate allegations surrounding the 11th National Parliamentary Election, held on 30 December 2018, commonly referred to as the ‘Midnight Vote.’
The anti-corruption watchdog stated that individuals involved in alleged irregularities, including Deputy Commissioners (DCs) who acted as returning officers, Superintendents of Police (SPs), members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and other relevant officials, will be subject to investigation by the ACC.
The investigation will focus on allegations of abuse of power, criminal misconduct, ballot fraud, vote rigging, and financial transactions linked to the election of parliamentary members in the 11th Jatiya Sangsad.
This development was disclosed by ACC Director General (Prevention) Akhtar Hossain during a regular press briefing on Wednesday at the ACC headquarters in Segunbagicha.
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB)executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said it is a long standing demand of the people of the country to know who were the involved Hasina’s ‘Midnight voting’ which held on December 30, 2018. Dr Iftekharuzzaman, the chief of The Anti-corruption reform Commission (ACC) said ACC should consider and focus on the area of their jurisdiction.
ACC has limited resources and manpower and should run the investigation by keeping it in their mind, he added.
The accused should face exemplary punishment as no one will show such like bravery in future to do this, he stated.
Furthermore, ACC DG stated that reports of various irregularities, such as vote rigging on the night before the election, ballot fraud, voter turnout exceeding 90 percent in certain centres, large-scale financial transactions, and abuse of power to secure the victory of specific candidates, have been widely reported in the media and formally submitted to the ACC.
A five-member team has been formed to investigate these allegations. The team will analyse video footage, reports from domestic and international media, election result sheets, and other relevant materials to compile and submit their findings.
According to the allegations, the then-prime minister and Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina, along with overall management by AL general secretary Obaidul Quader, orchestrated election irregularities with the participation of party leaders and activists at various administrative levels, including metropolitan, district, divisional, sub-district, municipal, union, and ward levels.
The allegations also implicate officials from different levels of government, including the then-Inspector General of Police Javed Patwary, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, former RAB chief Benazir Ahmed, former IGP Shahidul Haque, Defence Affairs Adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, then-Public Administration Adviser HT Imam, as well as deputy commissioners, district returning officers, divisional commissioners, range DIGs, police superintendents, officers-in-charge of police stations, and election officials at district and sub-district levels.
