The Bangladesh Nationalist Party stated that it had filed a formal complaint against 19 individuals, including Ms. Hasina, who absconded in the month of August after enduring weeks of public agitation opposing her governance.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party Files Case Against Former Election Officials and Ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
Dhaka, June 22, 2025 – In a significant political development, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the nation’s principal political entities, has instituted legal proceedings against several former high-ranking officials of the Election Commission, accusing them of manipulating electoral outcomes to ensure the prolonged rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The BNP submitted a formal complaint on Sunday, naming nineteen individuals, including Sheikh Hasina herself, who reportedly departed the country in August amidst widespread public demonstrations condemning her governance.
“We have levelled grave charges — violating the Constitution, breaching the sanctity of the electoral process, misusing public office to favour a particular political party, fostering a climate of fear and repression, and fraudulently declaring losing candidates as winners,” declared Salauddin Khan, a senior leader of the BNP, addressing members of the press.
The complaint asserts that the national elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024 were marred by systematic oppression of opposition parties and the manipulation of election results to favour Sheikh Hasina’s party.
Prominent among those named are former Chief Election Commissioners — Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, KM Nurul Huda, and Kazi Habibul Awal. Also included are several additional election officials, commission secretaries, and former senior members of law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Notably, Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, former Minister of Home Affairs, has also been cited in the case. All individuals named have since vacated public office.
The BNP further lamented that despite repeated appeals over the years, the Election Commission failed to implement measures to ensure fairness and equity in the electoral arena. The complaint alleges that opposition candidates were not only obstructed but were also subjected to targeted violence, disappearances, and systematic persecution.
According to the BNP’s charges, Sheikh Hasina maintained her political dominance by leveraging the influence of the Home Ministry, the police force, and intelligence agencies, while the Election Commission allegedly turned a blind eye and endorsed her party’s candidates through manipulated declarations.
In a recent development, interim national leader Muhammad Yunus has directed the appropriate state institutions to initiate proceedings and hold accountable those who are believed to have contributed to these electoral malpractices.