An investigation committee probing allegations surrounding Bangladesh’s three controversial national parliamentary elections — held in 2014, 2018, and 2024 — has reported that 80% of votes in the 2018 election were cast at night.
The committee, led by former High Court Justice Shamim Hasnain, submitted its findings on Monday to the Chief Adviser. After the submission, Justice Hasnain briefed the media outside the State Guest House Jamuna, highlighting key points from the report.
According to the committee, opposition parties, including the BNP, participated in the 2018 election without fully understanding the then ruling Awami League’s extensive strategy, aimed at ensuring the party’s victory.
The report estimated that ballots in 80% of constituencies were sealed at night to secure Awami League wins. It also noted that on the eve of the election, unfair administrative practices contributed to voter turnout exceeding 100 percent in some areas.
In the 2024 election, the BNP and other opposition parties boycotted the vote. The report said the ruling party used dummy candidates and internal party nominees to make the election appear competitive.
The committee found that decisions and planning for all three elections were made at the highest levels of government, with implementation involving the police, administration, and parts of intelligence agencies. Special “election cells” were formed with selected officials to manage the process.
The report also detailed how the election system, from 2014 to 2024, increasingly shifted from the Election Commission to the administration, making the latter the main force conducting elections.
The interim government formed the committee to investigate election-related allegations after student-public uprisings led to the fall of the Awami League government.
The five-member committee was tasked with providing recommendations for fair future elections. Members include former Additional Secretary Shamim Al Mamun, University of Dhaka Law Associate Professor Kazi Mahfuzul Haque, lawyer Tajrian Akram Hossain, and election expert Md Abdul Alim.
Justice Hasnain said the three elections, though held separately, followed a single master plan developed after the 2008 election under a caretaker government administered by the military.
The strategy aimed to abolish the caretaker system and ensure the ruling party-maintained power through any means.
Following the system’s removal, appointments to the Election Commission were made in a non-transparent manner, favoring loyalists.
“The elections were conducted in a way that resembled a colonial system,” Hasnain said, adding that while all three elections followed the master plan, each differed in execution. The 2014 election was largely non-participatory, while subsequent polls faced violence, campaign restrictions, intimidation, and irregularities in vote counting.
The report also highlighted judicial complicity, noting courts often denied bail amid widespread arrests. In 2024, with the opposition absent, staged elections using dummy candidates were held.
Hasnain said the committee’s findings reflect the extent to which these allegations correspond to reality. “We analyzed all reports, summoned witnesses, and conducted hearings despite obstacles, including absconding individuals and unavailable officials. Cooperation from agencies like NSI helped uncover substantial corruption within the Election Commission,” he said.
The investigation underscores persistent concerns about the integrity of Bangladesh’s election process over the past decade.
