Ministries to publish list of politically motivated cases recommended for withdrawal

The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, within the next couple of days, will start publishing on the website the list of politically motivated cases recommended by a ministry-level committee for withdrawal.

"The decision was made at the 12th meeting of the ministry-level committee at the ministry this noon," said law affairs ministry spokesperson Md Rezaul Karim.

Presided over by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul, the meeting decided to withdraw 517 more such cases. 

The committee, in the last four months, proposed to withdraw a total of 8,832 politically motivated cases filed for harassment.

At least 50 people were accused in each of these cases on an average. In accordance to that, nearly five lakh leaders and activists of various political parties, including BNP and Jamaat, were accused in these cases.

Aggrieved people can file their plea for withdrawal of cases at solicitor wing of the law ministry, solicitor wing of the law and justice division on Bangladesh Supreme Court premises or through email at solicitor.lawjusticediv.gov.bd address.

A decision has also been taken that if anyone faces any difficulties in collecting certified copies of first information report (FIR) or formal charge, which is to be attached with the application for case withdrawal, people can submit certified photocopies of FIR and formal charge.

The government on 22 September 2024, formed two separate committees at the ministry and at the district level aimed at withdrawing politically motivated cases filed for harassment, asking all concerned to submit applications with FIRs and charge sheets if required by 31 December 2024.

The law, justice and parliamentary affairs adviser is heading the six-member ministry-level committee while the concerned district magistrate is leading the four-member district-level committee.

Members of the ministry-level committee are the home ministry's public security division senior secretary, additional secretary (law and order) and joint secretary (law), and representatives from law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry (not below the rank of joint secretary).

Deputy secretary/senior secretary, assistant secretary, Law-1, public security division has been entrusted with the charge of member secretary of the committee.

Members of the district-level committees are the superintendent of police (a deputy commissioner for metropolitan areas), public prosecutors (metropolitan magistrate for the cases of the metropolitan areas) and additional district magistrate (member secretary).

The ministry-level committee is preparing a list of the cases appropriate for withdrawal after reviewing the recommendations sent from the district-level committees, initiating the process for withdrawal of the cases.

Apart from this, the committee will also prepare another list of the politically motivated cases filed under The Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2004 as these cases cannot be withdrawn sans the commission's written orders as per section 10 (4) of The Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1958. The government will later decide the next course of action to this end.