Published : 23 Jun 2025, 07:47 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:26 PM
The interim government has promised action after a group of people forcibly entered the home of former chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda and assaulted him before handing him over to police.
In a statement issued later in the night, the Chief Advisor’s Office condemned the assault, calling it unlawful, a violation of the rule of law, and a criminal offence.
“The government is aware of the chaotic situation during the arrest and the physical assault on the accused. Such acts are illegal and unacceptable,” the statement said
It added that law-enforcing agencies have been instructed to take proper measures.
According to the statement, Huda was arrested in connection with a case filed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police earlier the same day.
The case, lodged by the BNP, accuses 19 individuals, including former election commissioners and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, of holding national elections without a public mandate.
The incident occurred at his residence in Uttara on Sunday evening.
Just six hours after the case was filed, individuals claiming to be members of the public surrounded Huda’s residence and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt before handing him over to Uttara West police.
Hafizur Rahman, chief of the police station, said Huda was detained around 7:30pm after being “surrounded by the public.”
Uttara division Deputy Police Commissioner Mohidul Islam later said Huda was formally arrested under the case and transferred to the Detective Branch office on Minto Road. He is expected to be presented in court.
Videos circulated on social media showed that the former CEC was physically harassed during the incident.
The footage showed a man placing a garland of shoes around Huda’s neck and holding him by the collar while speaking to the camera with a police officer standing nearby. Another video appeared to show a man hitting Huda with one of the shoes.
A police officer, who asked not to be named, said by the time police arrived, Huda had already been dragged out from his flat and pelted with eggs. A pair of shoes were allegedly taken from his own building, tied with string, and placed around his neck.
The government urged the public not to take the law into their own hands.
“All accused individuals will face justice under the country’s legal system, and only the courts can decide their guilt,” the statement read.
It warned that those involved in creating “mob unrest” would be identified and face legal consequences. Citizens were urged to act with restraint and support efforts to uphold justice.
Nurul Huda, a former civil servant, was sworn in as the 12th chief election commissioner in February 2017. He led the Election Commission that conducted the controversial 2018 general election and completed its term in February 2022.
