The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has issued an order mentioning that officers must obtain prior approval from higher authorities before making any arrests in cases related to the killings and other atrocities during the mass uprising.
The directive, issued on April 9, stresses that sufficient evidence must be presented before arrests can be made.
The official order highlighted that many of the cases filed post-uprising involve numerous individuals, and investigators must have reliable proof before detaining anyone named in the FIR (First Information Report) or identified during their inquiries.
The evidence required includes victim statements, eyewitness accounts, video or audio footage, photographs, or call records.
Typically, investigating officers are authorized to make arrests on their own authority.
However, following the mass uprising and the subsequent collapse of the Awami League government on August 5, last year, the filing of numerous murder cases raised concerns among rights activists and legal professionals.
They criticized the complaints for being more focused on harassment rather than delivering justice for the victims of the atrocities.
Early investigations by police revealed that many of the accused had no connection to the crimes. To date, over 1,500 such cases have been filed across the country, according to police records.
In response to these concerns, police headquarters issued a separate directive on September 10, prohibiting the arrest of government officials or employees without concrete evidence.
