BNP files case against Hasina, election officials over parliamentary polls

The party accuses the Awami League chief and the Election Commissions of conducting elections through intimidation without the people’s vote

The BNP has filed a case with Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, alleging that Election Commission officials did not fulfil their duties and instead conducted polls through intimidation without allowing the people to vote. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former chief election commissioners have been named as suspects in the case.

The plaintiff in the case is Salah Uddin Khan, a former police officer and member of the BNP's National Executive Committee, and the coordinator in charge of preserving the party’s information on cases, disappearances, murders, and data.

The case alleges that BNP leaders and activists kept away from the election process by threatening them with false cases, kidnappings, enforced disappearances, murders and torture.The complaint in the case states, "Despite being in a constitutional institution, these suspects are accused of violating the constitution, violating the election code of conduct, illegally forcing electoral victories despite being government employees, concluding the voting process through intimidation, and falsely declaring members of parliament who did not receiving the people's votes. The witnesses to the incident are all voters in the polling station area and many members of the law enforcing agencies deployed at the polling station. In addition, many honest presiding officers, police officers and local people at the polling station will be witnesses to the incident. In addition, voters will be questioned on the seals and signatures on ballot papers to determine whether they actually voted."

At around 11am, a BNP team led by Salah Uddin went to Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station and handed over the copies and documents of the case to Imaul Haque, the officer-in-charge.

After receiving the papers, OC Imaul said that, according to the plaintiffs, the officials who were in the Election Commission in the past did not fulfil the duties assigned to them despite being part of a constitutional institution. On the contrary, the plaintiff alleges that they conducted the vote through intimidation and declared winners without the people's votes.

The plaintiffs view the declarations of victory of these candidates as a punishable crime and have filed a complaint listing the names of 19 people allegedly involved, he said.

When asked under which section of the law the case is being filed, the OC said: "We are reviewing and making arrangements to record the case."

After receiving the allegations, the OC was seen taking pictures of the documents and sending them to someone. Over the phone, he read out some of the details of the case to senior officials.