Bangladesh government seeks investigations into 2008, 2014 and 2018 votes

Information adviser Zahed Ur Rahman called for impartial investigations into Bangladesh’s controversial elections, including the 2008, 2014 and 2018 votes.

“There is a need for a proper and impartial investigation into all the controversial elections of the past, including the 2008 general election,” Rahman told a briefing at the Press Information Department.

Rahman said statistics indicated thousands of votes were cast within less than a minute at some polling centers in 2008. He also called for legal measures, including criminal action, against officials or individuals involved in electoral offenses during the 2018 election.

Rahman said the government remained committed to investigating unresolved crimes, including the killings of journalists Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.

He also said Bangladesh would begin the formal process for local government elections within 2026. Completing elections at all levels could take up to a year.