A total of 1,911 case files (case dockets or CDs) from the Chittagong court have gone missing.
Lawyers have expressed concerns, as these files are crucial for judicial proceedings in cases involving murder, drugs, smuggling, explosions, and other crimes.
The incident came to light after Public Prosecutor (PP) Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan of the Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court filed a general diary (GD) at Kotwali Police Station on Sunday.
However, the matter became public knowledge on Monday morning.
In the GD, he said that the PP’s office in Chittagong had been storing case dockets from 28 to 30 courts.
Due to space constraints in the office, 1,911 case dockets, wrapped in plastic and kept in sacks, were placed on the veranda in front of the PP’s office on April 24, 2023.
During the court’s winter vacation, when the office was closed from December 13 to December 31, the case files went missing. Despite extensive searches, the files could not be found.
The GD was filed to formally document the incident with the police.
Public Prosecutor Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan said: "Someone took the 1,911 case files kept in sacks in front of my office. Due to a lack of space, the files had been stored on the veranda for a long time. However, these case files are from cases before my tenure."
The Chittagong PP's office is located on the third floor of the Chittagong Court Building at Kotwali Mor.
Adjacent to it are the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s courtroom and chambers, along with other judges’ courtrooms.
The court premises are usually bustling with lawyers and litigants throughout the day.
Kotwali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Karim said: "A GD has been filed regarding the disappearance of 1,911 case files kept in front of the Chittagong PP’s office. We are investigating the matter."
