Former Bangladesh CEC Nurul Huda arrested

Police have taken former chief election commissioner Nurul Huda into custody after he was assaulted by “students and members of the public” outside his home in Uttara, hours after being named in a lawsuit filed by the BNP.

Huda was listed as one of 19 people accused in a case, which named chief election commissioners who led the Election Commission (EC) during the 10, 11th and 12th parliamentary polls, filed by the BNP on Thursday with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police.

The charges allege responsibility for holding elections without the people's mandate. The list of accused also includes deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and former election commissioners.

Later in the evening, a group of protesters gathered outside Huda’s residence in Uttara Sector 5 and physically harassed him.

Video footage on social media showed a man placing a garland of shoes around his neck while grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, as an individual in police uniform stood nearby. Police confirmed they had taken Huda into custody around 7:30pm.

“The public surrounded him and informed police. We went to the scene and brought him in,” said Hafizur Rahman, Uttara West police chief.

Uttara Division Deputy Commissioner Mohidul Islam said Huda was shown arrested in the case filed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station and sent to the Detective Branch office on Minto Road, and from there, he would be produced in court.

An Uttara West police officer said Huda was dragged out of his flat and humiliated by people before the police arrived.