Former IGP Claims Ballot Stuffing Ordered Night Before 2018 Election

Former Inspector General of Bangladesh Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun has testified that former IGP Javed Patwary advised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to pre-fill 50% of the ballot boxes the night before the 2018 national election.

The explosive statement came during Mamun’s testimony on Tuesday before the International Crimes Tribunal-01, led by Justice Md. Golam Mortuza Mujeeb. Mamun, who served as the police chief during the July Movement, began his testimony at 11:50 AM and appeared as a prosecution witness after turning state approver earlier this year.

Mamun alleged that Javed Patwary, who was the police chief at the time of the 2018 elections, made the proposal to stuff half of the ballots in advance, and the advice was reportedly given directly to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He also testified about the presence of a "Gopalganj syndicate" within the police force, indicating a network of loyal officers from the Prime Minister’s home district that allegedly held significant sway over law enforcement decisions.

Mamun further claimed that the use of lethal weapons, aerial firing from helicopters, and large-scale "block raids" during the suppression of political protests were politically sanctioned decisions.

According to his statement, directives to use lethal force came directly from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He named former Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman Habib and Detective Branch officer Harun as being particularly "enthusiastic" about using such deadly tactics.

Mamun also revealed the existence of secret detention centers under the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), particularly mentioning one under RAB-1 called “TIF.” He alleged that individuals with opposing political views or those considered threats to the government were held in these facilities.

He stated that such operations were carried out under instructions from the Prime Minister's Office, sometimes directly from Tarique Siddique, a security adviser to the PM. Detentions and extrajudicial killings, including the notorious “crossfire” executions, were reportedly carried out by RAB’s ADC (Operations) and the Director of Intelligence.

Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun first gave a confessional statement on March 24 this year in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court. He told the tribunal he voluntarily chose to become a state witness in order to "reveal the truth."

Previously, 35 witnesses, including injured victims, family members of the deceased, and medical professionals, have testified against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in relation to the July Movement. The prosecution expects to conclude witness hearings later this month.