The government has formed a five-member committee, headed by Justice Shamim Hasnain, former judge of the High Court Division, to investigate the allegations raised over the last three Jatiya Sangsad elections and to make recommendations to hold fair election in the future.
The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard on Thursday, which will come into immediate effect.
The committee has been asked to submit its report to the government by September 30, 2025.
It said that the interim government has decided to investigate the corruption, irregularities, and crimes committed during the last three general elections in order to secure the voting rights of common people, to secure democracy in the country and to resist the apprehension for further fascist and authoritarian regimes.
The notification said that the last three Jatiya Sangsad polls in 2014, 2018 and 2024 drew huge criticisms both at home and abroad while there is also a strong allegation of electing Awami League in a staged process through pursuing various means by foiling the voting rights of common people.
Serious allegations have also been raised against those who had conducted those elections through violating the constitutional obligations for running the country through elected public representatives.
It said these had endangered the rule of law, democracy and the basic human rights in the country.
The other members of the committee are: Shamim Al Mamun (former additional secretary, Grade-1), Kazi Mahfuzul Haque (Supon), Associate Professor, Department of Law, Dhaka University, Barrister Tazrian Akram Hossain, Advocate, District and Sessions Judge Court, Dhaka and Dr Md Abdul Alim, election expert.
The terms of reference of the committee include analyzing the reports of election observers, local and foreign institutions, citizens’ organizations over the last three national elections and analyzing the allegations raised in various media during that time; taking expert opinions and thus analyzing the various allegations of corruption, irregularities and criminals activities and also about the overall non-partisan and credibility of those centering those polls.
The committee will also analyze the role of the then election commission and its secretariat, administration, role of the law enforcement agencies and the intelligence agencies, making recommendations about the desired role, changes and outline on the concerned laws, rules and regulations, election commission and administrative arrangements for making all the elections fair in the future.
The committee will also analyze the role of the then ruling party and others concerned to deter the people from exercising their voting rights and also to limit the participation of political parties in those polls; scrutinizing and analyzing the allegations of financial irregularities raised against the then election commissions.
The Cabinet Division will provide secretarial assistance to the committee for conducting the investigation while the Election Commission will provide logistics support and information related support to the committee.
The committee can recall documents of any office and can interrogate concerned individuals.
The committee can co-opt any member for its necessity.
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
