Political Turmoil: Arrests and Allegations Shake Bangladesh's Electoral Landscape

Kazi Habibul Awal, the former Chief Election Commissioner of Bangladesh, was arrested on Wednesday amid allegations of election manipulation, joining his predecessor K M Nurul Huda in custody. The arrests are part of a wider crackdown initiated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, against election misconduct during the Sheikh Hasina regime.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Deputy Commissioner Talebur Rahman confirmed Awal's arrest, adding tension to a political landscape already charged by Huda's arrest and subsequent assault by a mob. The allegations center on elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024, which the BNP claims were conducted without a proper mandate under Hasina's administration.

The arrests have sparked social media uproar, prompting Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus' interim government to issue warnings and take legal actions against assailants. This tumultuous period follows Hasina's ousting after a student-led protest last August, which resulted in the arrest or exile of several Awami League leaders from the former government.

(With inputs from agencies.)