False cases, extortion: How July-August movement deaths became a business

• Since the fall of Hasina, false cases have been filed relating to shooting during protests
• Innocent people are being implicated, often facing extortion to remove their names
• Over 1,500 were killed and 22,000 injured in protests, resulting in 2,500 cases
• Human rights activists fear real criminals may escape trial due to focus on false cases
• Authorities have acknowledged the issue, but actions, accountability are pending

Dulal Rabi Das, a 64-year-old cobbler, died from a stroke on 18 July 2024. As the sole breadwinner, his death left his family struggling. But their hardships did not end there. 

On 29 November, a case was filed claiming that Dulal had been killed by pro-Awami League men during the quota reform movement. Over 450 people were accused, with 168 named, including ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Soon, some of the accused began receiving calls demanding money to remove their names from the case. In response, they reached out to Dulal's family.

Bikash Das, the deceased's son, told The Business Standard, "We don't want anyone exploiting my father's name for personal gain."

He first learned about the case from his colleague, Rocky Bhuiyan, whose brother was also named in the accusation.

"My father's death was natural; he died from a stroke while heading to the hospital. We have the death certificate," Bikash said.

Rocky Bhuiyan, a joint convener of Kishoreganj's Karimganj upazila unit of Jubo Dal, said that his brother was a Bangladesh Chhatra League activist but held no official position. "My brother and nine BNP leaders are now being falsely accused and extorted."

What the case statement says 

As per the case statement, Dulal was shot in the chest on 18 July in the Rothkhola area of Kishoreganj, where pro-Awami League men opened fire on students protesting for quota reform.

After being shot, Dulal was allegedly beaten to death. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, reads the case statement.

Bikash has already written to the chief judicial magistrate about the situation. "Our request is to take action against those who are trying to disrupt social harmony by filing false cases," he said.

The case was filed by one Rafiul Alam, who mentioned three incidents in his statement—two murders and his own injury.

The other alleged murder was of Md Rubel Mia, 34, who as per the case was shot to death during an anti-government protest on 4 August.

However, his death certificate states he died from irreversible cardiorespiratory failure caused by acute myocardial infarction, as documented by Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College.

"My husband was not shot," said Rubel's wife Majeda Akter. "We received a call around 11:55am saying Rubel was taken to the hospital with breathing problems."

The family rushed to the hospital and arranged his transfer to Shahid Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College. "I spoke to him at the hospital," Majeda said.

Rubel's father, Azharul Islam, has also written to the chief judicial magistrate, claiming the case is false. He said that Rubel collapsed during the protest and later died.

When asked about the case, Abdullah Al Mamun, officer-in-charge of Kishoreganj Sadar Model police station, said, "We registered the case after proper verification. The plaintiff is a coordinator of Gono Odhikar Parishad and was involved in the movement."

This case is not the only one. Since 5 August, several false cases have been filed to harass or intimidate others.

Plantiff Rafiul's version

Rafiul Alam described himself as a "fighter" of the student-led mass uprising, claiming he was injured during the movement. "I no longer hold any position in Gono Adhikar Parishad," he said.

When asked about the case, Rafiul said he documented what he witnessed. "They sustained bullet injuries in front of us during the movement. Later, they were taken to the hospital, where the on-duty doctor pronounced them dead. In the case statement, I described exactly what I saw," Rafiul claimed.

"I filed the case because they were my comrades in the movement, and I believe the investigation will reveal the actual facts," he added.

However, sources allege that Rafiul has accused local residents—mostly businessmen—in the case and is now demanding money from them to remove their names.

TBS obtained a call recording of a purported conversation between Rafiul and a relative of one accused, where Rafiul suggested contacting another individual to handle the payment discreetly. "I will provide his number, but you must maintain secrecy. If I face any trouble, you will suffer even more," Rafiul said at one point in the conversation.

Rafiul refused to make any comment on the phone call.

Rising reports of false accusations

After 5 August, following the fall of the Hasina regime amid a bloody mass uprising, a troubling new issue has emerged across the country.

Murder cases are being filed indiscriminately, often including innocent people as the accused. In many instances, money is being demanded from the accused to have their names removed from these cases.

According to a 28 September report by the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), over 1,500 people were killed and more than 22,000 injured during the month-long violent protests. The Police Headquarters' public relations department reported that 2,500 cases have been filed in connection with these events.

Recently, three leaders of the Chhatra Dal Rajshahi University unit were expelled for allegedly demanding money from a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader to remove his name from a case.

On 27 October, an attempted murder case was filed in court, naming 85 individuals, including Feni District Awami League General Secretary Nizam Uddin Hazari.

Ibrahim Patwari, a businessman who had been living in Dhaka for over two decades, was also accused in the same case. He later obtained bail from the court.

Ibrahim claimed that he was in Dhaka during the time of the alleged clash mentioned in the case. "I wasn't in Feni during that time, let alone participating in any movement on behalf of fascist Hasina," he said.

Recently, there were attempts to name Ibrahim as an accused in two more cases in Feni. After learning about these efforts, he managed to get his name removed with the help of BNP district-level leaders.

Ibrahim said that he comes from a BNP-supporting family, with two of his brothers holding Jubo Dal positions in the Parshuram upazila of Feni district.

"Despite being part of a BNP family, I was mentally harassed and financially harmed without reason," he added.

Concerns over justice, accountability

Human rights workers are concerned that the main perpetrators may not be punished because innocent people are being wrongly accused.

Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik said that the cases filed after the July uprisings have become a source of corruption. In many cases, 200 to 250 people are named as accused, most of whom had no involvement. Money is often extorted from them to remove their names from the FIR.

Malik expressed concern about ensuring justice, saying, "With so many accused in one case, it becomes nearly impossible for the investigation officer to conduct a proper inquiry, allowing the real perpetrators to go free."

Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), said, "A group of beneficiaries has emerged after Hasina's ousting, who are filing murder cases against innocent people and then demanding money to remove their names."

Describing this as a continuation of past regime practices, Iftekharuzzaman called for a united effort by political parties to uphold human rights. "Action must be taken against those involved in such offences," he stressed.

Authorities' responses

Several attempts were made to contact Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury for comments, but he did not respond.

However, DMP Commissioner SM Sazzad Ali acknowledged the issue of false cases and extortion, stating that some police officers are also involved in this illicit activity.

"We are taking action against the officers responsible and have instructed the officers-in-charge of the relevant police stations to file extortion charges against those making false complaints," he said.