EC officials tampered with ballots and result sheets, Jamaat alleges

Dr AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami, has alleged that officials of the Election Commission (EC) tampered with ballot seals and result sheets at polling centres.

Leaders of the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance met with the EC on Sunday (15 February) to raise complaints regarding various irregularities in the national parliamentary elections. The meeting was held at the Bangladesh Election Commission office in Agargaon, Dhaka, with Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud and other EC officials in attendance.

Jamaat leaders claimed that black money was used and election engineering had taken place. They alleged that in some centres, officials sealed ballots themselves, while voters faced obstruction and intimidation, resulting in lower voter turnout.

They added that despite repeated appeals by the 11-party alliance, the Commission had not taken satisfactory action. They further alleged abnormal voting in certain centres, excessive use of ballots, and manipulation of result sheets. During vote counting, polling agents were reportedly forced out, and in the Dhaka-6 constituency, agents were replaced.

Leaders who attended the meeting with the EC included Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, Media Coordinator of the 11-party alliance Liaison Committee; Jamaat leader Barrister Nazibur Rahman Momen; Labour Party’s Mostafizur Rahman Iran; and central leaders of the National Citizen Party (NCP).