Entire nation was punished in the name of election organised with people’s money: Yunus
A government inquiry commission has revealed that in the 2018 national election, ballots were stamped overnight in 80 percent of polling centres to secure victory for the Awami League, with voter turnout figures exceeding 100 percent in some locations.
The findings were submitted this afternoon to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus by the five-member commission led by Justice Shamim Hasnain at Jamuna.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The commission investigated electoral irregularities in the 2014, 2018, and 2024 parliamentary elections, noting that during this period, control of the electoral process shifted away from the Election Commission (EC) and into the hands of the administration.
After receiving the report, the chief adviser said, “We had heard about vote rigging, we knew some of it. But the way the entire process was shamelessly distorted, the system twisted and crushed, and a verdict written on paper as they pleased -- this must be placed before the nation. A full record must be kept.”
He added that the entire nation was punished in the name of elections organised with public money.
“The people of this country looked on helplessly. They could do nothing. To give the people some relief, the faces of all those involved must be brought to light. We must know who did it, how they did it. And we must ensure that such election theft can never happen again.”
The report detailed that in the 2014 election, 153 constituencies were uncontested, while polls in the remaining 147 were staged as “competitive” but were entirely pre-arranged to keep the Awami League in power.
Facing global criticism for the uncontested polls, the party adopted a mission to make the 2018 election appear competitive, drawing the BNP and other opposition parties into participation without realising the scale of manipulation.
In the 2024 election, when opposition parties did not participate, dummy candidates were fielded as a deceptive tactic to portray it as "competitive."
Due to limited time, it was not possible to identify individuals involved in election irregularities or determine their specific roles, said the commission.
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