Staff Reporter :
A Dhaka court has granted a four-day remand for former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda in a case filed over allegations of abuse of power and conducting a farcical election. The case was lodged at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in the capital.
Nurul Huda was brought to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Dhaka around 3 PM on Monday, June 23, and kept in the court’s custody cell before the hearing.
During the proceedings, Sub-Inspector Shamsuzzoha Sarkar of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, also the investigating officer in the case, sought a 10-day remand to facilitate proper investigation. Public Prosecutor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court supported the remand plea on behalf of the state.
After hearing both sides, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman approved a four-day remand.
The case stems from a complaint filed by BNP leader and National Executive Committee member Md Salahuddin Khan. Filed on Sunday, June 22, the case accuses 24 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and three former chief election commissioners, of engineering rigged elections under the ruling Awami League.
The complaint outlines that following the 2009 general election, which brought Sheikh Hasina to power with alleged backing from military authorities under a caretaker government, efforts were made to dismantle the caretaker system. Then Chief Justice Khairul Haque is accused of aiding in abolishing this electoral mechanism, solidifying one-party dominance.
In 2017, under the Hasina-led government, KM Nurul Huda was appointed as Chief Election Commissioner. The case highlights that in the 2018 general election, Nurul Huda and the Election Commission allegedly ignored repeated appeals from opposition parties, especially BNP and the Jatiya Oikya Front, for a fair election under a neutral caretaker government. Despite promises from the government to ensure an inclusive election, opposition candidates reportedly faced widespread obstruction from law enforcement and ruling party activists during campaigning and even nomination submission.
The complaint alleges that during the election period, BNP leaders and activists were subjected to widespread violence, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and intimidation. Numerous fabricated cases were also reportedly filed to suppress opposition voices. Requests made to Nurul Huda by BNP leadership to intervene and restore an election-friendly environment were allegedly ignored.
According to the plaintiff, Huda and other election commissioners violated Article 7(a) of the Constitution, which declares that all power belongs to the people and must be exercised under constitutional authority. The commission is accused of depriving citizens of their voting rights and unlawfully assisting the ruling party through deliberate inaction.
The case also accuses Nurul Huda and the commission of ballot stuffing on the night before the 2018 election, using law enforcement and partisan election officials. The result was a landslide victory for the Awami League, with only six BNP members being declared elected. The complaint claims Huda personally barred BNP and Oikya Front supporters from accessing polling centers and accepted large sums of money from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in exchange for orchestrating the rigged outcome.
The charges extend to the 2024 general election, alleging that Huda played a key role in supporting then CEC Kazi Habibul Awal in another controversial election, which again ensured victory for the ruling party.
The case raises serious allegations regarding the integrity of multiple election cycles and questions the role of key officials in maintaining democratic processes. Investigations are ongoing.
