Sakhawat may be arrested at any time

Former adviser to the interim government and a member of the Election Commission during the One-Eleven period, Brigadier General (Retd.) M Sakhawat Hossain, may be arrested at any time. He faces allegations of being a key accomplice during One-Eleven, maintaining liaison with conspiratorial elements on behalf of the Election Commission, attempting to split the BNP, and overseeing the printing of excess ballot papers. Additionally, it has been learned that issues surrounding alleged disruption at Chattogram Port during the tenure of the recently departed interim government—reportedly influenced by his son, M Safaq Hossain—will also be investigated.

During the One-Eleven period, Sakhawat Hossain served as an influential Election Commissioner. Following the recent arrests of Lt Gen (Retd.) Masud Uddin Chowdhury and Lt Gen (Retd.) Sheikh Mamun Khaled, sensational information about Sakhawat Hossain has emerged. According to multiple sources, he was appointed to the Election Commission essentially as a representative of Moeen and Masud. His role was to maintain communication with conspiratorial actors on behalf of the Commission and implement their directives. He is also alleged to have led efforts to split the BNP at the time. The most serious allegation is that the excess ballot papers printed to ensure the BNP’s defeat in the 2008 election were produced under his supervision. He reportedly supplied ballot designs and other printing-related data to Lt Gen (Retd.) Sheikh Mamun Khaled, who was then Director of the DGFI.

During the One-Eleven period, the Chief Election Commissioner was Dr ATM Shamsul Huda, with Muhammad Sohul Hossain serving as another commissioner and Humayun Kabir as Secretary. It is alleged that Sakhawat kept these officials under constant pressure due to the influence of Moeen and Masud, leaving them unable to act beyond his decisions. At the time, Brigadier Shahadat Hossain Chowdhury was the project director of the voter list with photographs project, and Dr Rafiqul Islam served as Joint Secretary. Later, under the Awami League government, both were appointed Election Commissioners in the KM Nurul Huda Commission. Sources state that Sakhawat Hossain may be arrested at any time to verify the allegations of misconduct during One-Eleven in which he is said to have been a key associate of Moeen, Masud and Sheikh Mamun. Multiple sources have also confirmed that he is currently under intelligence surveillance.

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According to several sources from the previous interim government, Brigadier Sakhawat Hossain was appointed as an adviser due to his experience in “election engineering” during One-Eleven. However, at one stage, his actions and remarks caused embarrassment to the government, leading to his removal from the Ministry of Home Affairs and reassignment to the Ministry of Shipping. This reportedly angered him, and he threatened to resign. However, he later stepped back from that decision, allegedly because various sensitive government departments possessed evidence of his activities. Subsequently, Dr Muhammad Yunus and members of his “kitchen cabinet” reportedly lost trust in him, and he was excluded from discussions related to elections. In fact, Sakhawat himself recently disclosed in a media interview that he had been excluded from the kitchen cabinet and election-related decisions. Following the broadcast of that interview, other advisers reportedly became highly displeased with him. Speaking anonymously, a former adviser said: “To escape the actions he took against the BNP during One-Eleven, Brigadier Sakhawat Hossain tried to curry favour with the BNP by making statements that could call the interim government into question.”

Meanwhile, multiple sources within the interim government have alleged that after Sakhawat Hossain was assigned to the Ministry of Shipping, his son, M Safaq Hossain, effectively controlled the ministry. Safaq is also said to have had close ties with Dubai-based operator DP World. It is alleged that under his behind-the-scenes leadership, a conspiracy was hatched to hand over Chattogram Port to foreign entities, involving large financial transactions. He is further accused of controlling all aspects of land filling, infrastructure development and other works related to the Bay Terminal transport terminal project, as well as overseeing all construction activities of the Taltola Yard. Safaq also allegedly interfered in the construction of a chemical shed at Gate No. 1 of Chattogram Port. It is claimed that he took a 5 percent commission on every civil work at the port and 10 percent on projects awarded through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM). He is also accused of irregularities in equipment procurement, taking commissions ranging from 10 to 15 percent depending on the nature of the work. Allegations of various corrupt practices by Sakhawat’s son are now widely discussed at Chattogram Port. These allegations are also expected to be investigated.