The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has formed a five-member team to investigate allegations of abuse of power, ballot fraud, vote-casting the night before Election Day, and financial transactions aimed at influencing the election of Members of Parliament during the 11th National Parliamentary Election in 2018.
The initiative was disclosed by the commission's Director General (Prevention) Md Akhtarul Islam at a briefing on Wednesday.
The allegations, which surfaced in various media reports and were submitted to the ACC, highlight widespread irregularities such as ballot-stuffing before election day and manipulation of vote counts.
Additionally, allegations include misuse of power to influence election results in favor of specific contenders.
The allegations, widely reported in both domestic and international media and submitted to the ACC, implicate high-ranking officials and politicians.
According to the complaints, under the leadership of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina and with overall management by Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, officials across various levels of government allegedly conspired with party leaders to manipulate election outcomes.
Key figures named include: Inspector general of Police (IGP) Javed Patwary, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, former RAB director General Benazir Ahmed, former IGP Shahidul Hoque, defense adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, public administration adviser HT Imam.
Additionally, district commissioners, returning officers, divisional commissioners, DIGs, superintendents of police, officer-in-charges of police stations, election officials, and presiding officers were reportedly involved in the alleged malpractices.
Specific allegations include, ballot stuffing the night before election day, reporting over 90% voter turnout in several centers, extensive financial transactions to influence results and manipulation of the election process to secure victories for certain candidates.
The probe team will scrutinize video footage, media reports (both domestic and international), election result sheets, and other relevant evidence.
Upon completion of their investigation, the team will submit a comprehensive report detailing their findings and any evidence uncovered.
