Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday stressed on taking measures to stop recurrence of election rigging as the committee on investigating alleged irregularities in the 2014, 2018 and 2024 general polls submitted its report to him.
Committee Chief Justice Shamim Hasnain and members Shamim Al Mamun, Kazi Mahfuzul Haque (Supon), Barrister Tazrian Akram Hossain and Dr Md Abdul Alim formally handed over the report to the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna in the afternoon.
After submitting the report, committee members discussed various aspects of their investigation with the Chief Adviser.
Receiving the report, Prof Yunus said, “We had heard about vote rigging, and we knew some things. But the way they distorted the entire process so shamelessly, crushed and twisted the system, and wrote verdicts on paper according to their own wishes—these must be presented before the nation. There must be a complete record.”
He further said that using the country’s money and organising the elections with people’s money, the entire nation was given punishment.
“The people of this country watched helplessly. They could do nothing,” the Chief Adviser said, adding, for the country’s people to feel at least some relief, the faces of those involved must be unmasked.
“We must know who did it and how it was done. Measures must be taken so that election rigging never happens again,” Prof Yunus said.
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, Industries Adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, Information and Broadcasting Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and Cultural Affairs Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, among others, were present at the meeting.
Later on, the committee chief and members briefed the media in front of the Jamuna where they presented the findings of the investigation.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam was also present at the briefing.
According to the report, the 2014 election was completely staged and meticulously pre-planned. Out of 300 seats, 153 were elected uncontested, while the remaining 147 seats were subjected to what was termed a so-called “contest”.
The investigation found that this arrangement was made on the basis of decisions taken at the highest level of the state to keep Awami League (AL) in power.
The report noted that as the 2014 election was widely criticised worldwide as an uncontested election, AL under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina had taken a mission to make the 2018 election “competitive” one.
But BNP and other opposition parties, failing to understand the depth of this long-term plan, participated in the election, the report said.
According to the report, in the 2018 election, ballots were stamped at night in around 80 per cent of polling centres to ensure victory for AL.
There was a kind of “dishonest competition” within the administration to make AL win, resulting in voter turnout exceeding 100 per cent in some centres, it said.
The report also revealed that in 2024, as the BNP and other opposition parties did not participate in the election, a tactic was adopted to make the election appear “competitive” by fielding so-called “dummy” candidates.
The report stated that the innovative plans behind all three elections were taken at the highest level of the state, saying as part of that, the administration, police, Election Commission, and intelligence agencies were used to implement the plans.
“A special cell comprising certain officials was formed, which was known as the ‘Election Cell’,” the report revealed.
According to the report, from 2014 to 2024, the election system was effectively taken away from the Election Commission and placed largely in the hands of the administration. During this period, the administration, rather than the Election Commission, emerged as the main force in conducting elections.
