New charges of treason, fraud, and embezzlement have been added to an ongoing legal case filed by a BNP leader against 24 individuals, including three former Chief Election Commissioners (CECs) and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The case accuses them of orchestrating controversial elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024 without public participation, violating constitutional duties, and using threats to suppress opposition.
A Dhaka magistrate court on Wednesday accepted the petition filed by the investigation officer from Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station to include the new charges under sections 120(b), 420, and 406 of the Penal Code.
The accused include former CECs Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad, KM Nurul Huda, and Kazi Habibul Awal, as well as former police chiefs and other senior election officials. Some, including Nurul Huda and Habibul Awal, have already been arrested.
The complaint alleges that elections during the former Awami League government were manipulated through mass arrests, violence, and voter suppression, leading to what BNP calls "no-vote" and "midnight" elections.
It claims that electoral results were declared without actual voting, undermining the democratic process.
Following a court verdict in late 2024 partially invalidating the 15th constitutional amendment, a path was reopened for restoring the caretaker government system.
The National Consensus Commission later recommended investigations into those involved in administering the disputed elections under the previous regime.
