The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs will start publishing on their websites the list of politically motivated cases recommended by a ministry-level committee for withdrawal within the next couple of days.
"The decision was made at the 12th meeting of the ministry-level committee at the ministry this noon," Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry spokesperson Md Rezaul Karim told the press on Sunday.
Presided over by Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser 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 average. In accordance with that, nearly 500,000 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 the solicitor wing of the law ministry, the solicitor wing of the law and justice division on the Bangladesh Supreme Court premises, or through email at solicitor.lawjusticediv.gov.bd.
A decision has also been taken that if anyone faces any difficulties in collecting certified copies of the first information report (FIR) or formal charge, which is to be attached with the application for case withdrawal, they can submit certified photocopies of FIRs and formal charge.
The government, on September 22, 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 December 31, 2024.
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), joint secretary (law), and a representative from the 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 without 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.
