Four election officials in Kushtia have been sued for their alleged involvement in National Identity Card forgery.

Using the fake NID cards, a gang attempted to grab a house on 2.5 bighas of land, a property estimated to be worth around Tk 100 crore, in Kushtia city.

Senior District Election Officer Anisur Rahman filed two cases with Kushtia model and Kumarkhali police stations on Thursday over the incident. In both cases, a few sections of the Digital Security Act (DSA) have been used, Anisur told The Daily Star yesterday.

According to the case statements, the property in Kushtia city is owned by MMA Wadud, a resident of 110 NS (Nabab Seraj-Ud-Daula) Road, and five members of his family. A gang forged six NID cards under their names and other details and tried to grab the property.

After the incident came to light, the Election Commission launched an investigation and found evidence that four officials and an employee of the Kushtia District Election Office were involved in the forgery.

The case with Kushtia Model Police Station was filed under Section 20 of Bangladesh Voter List Act, 2019, Section 17 of National Identity Registration Act, 2010, sections 420, 468 and 109 of Penal Code, 1860, and sections 24, 33 and 35 of Digital Security Act, 2018.

The accused in the case are: Deputy Secretary of Dhaka Election Commission Secretariat (former senior district election officer) Nawabul Islam, Additional Regional Election Officer of Faridpur (former Kushtia Sadar upazila election officer) Ziaur Rahman, Upazila Election Officer of Magura Sadar (former Kushtia Sadar upazila election officer) Amit Kumar Das, and Kushtia Sadar Upazila Election Office Assistant cum Computer Typist GM Sadiq.

Kushtia Sadar Upazila Election Officer (former Kumarkhali upazila election officer) Samiul Alam was sued in the other case, which was filed under Section 18 of Voter List Act, 2019, Section 17 of the National Identity Registration Act, 2010 and sections 420, 468 and 109 of the Penal Code, and sections 24 and 35 of Digital Security Act, 2018.

The plaintiff said the accused are currently barred from discharging their official duties.

Besides, six accused in a case filed by MMA Wadud over the attempted misappropriation of his property are in jail. They were arrested at different times after the incident came to light.

Ashrafuzzaman Sujan, convener of Kushtia Jubo League, are among the six.