'Mob justice' against ex-CEC Nurul Huda unacceptable, says home adviser

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today condemned the "mob justice" carried out during the detention of former chief election commissioner KM Nurul Huda, saying such actions are unacceptable.

If any member from the law enforcement agencies found involved in the incident, the matter will be investigated and legal action will be taken, he said.

He made the remarks while speaking to reporters after visiting the Horticulture Centre in Mouchak, Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur around 11:00am.

The adviser also said that a new law is being drafted to protect agricultural land from illegal occupation.

He emphasised the need to increase the production of local fruits to prevent them from disappearing, alongside importing foreign varieties.

Following his visit, he gave several directives to officials and staff at the horticulture centre.

Asked about the recent rise in robberies in Gazipur, Jahangir Alam said that police numbers and surveillance would be increased to ensure criminal activities are curbed effectively.

Gazipur Deputy Commissioner Nafisa Arefin, Superintendent of Police Dr Chowdhury Jaber Sadeq, Kaliakair UNO Kawsar Ahmed, and senior officials from the police and agriculture ministry, including Enamul Haque of the Mouchak Horticulture Centre, were present during the visit.

According to police, a team from the Uttara West Police Station arrested former CEC Huda around 7:30pm yesterday.

A video that was making the rounds on social media shows Huda, dressed in a white T-shirt and lungi, with a garland of shoes around his neck. He is surrounded by a group of unidentified individuals. At one point, a bearded man strikes Huda in the face twice with a shoe, while others nearby appear to attempt to stop the assault.

The arrest was made after a case was filed against three former CECs, including Huda, deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, 10 election commissioners, and 10 others over election irregularities with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

The two other CECs are Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad and Kazi Habibul Awal, who presided over the national elections of 2014 and 2024 respectively.