It is nothing short of appalling to see false cases continue to be lodged against innocent men and women in connection with the atrocities committed under the auspices of the previous government. The recent arrest of an assistant professor from at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) is simply another in a list of shambolic cases being filed with ill intent by vested quarters.
According to a recent Daily Star report, Mahamudul Haque -- a journalism teacher at BRUR -- was arrested and jailed in connection with a murder case filed 10 months after the death of a local shopkeeper, Samesh Uddin. Reportedly, Samesh on August 2, 2024, during a period of political unrest in Rangpur. His death was initially attributed to a stroke, allegedly triggered by panic during a police and ruling party raid. Furthermore, on June 3, Samesh’s spouse filed a murder case accusing 54 individuals, including prominent political figures and Mahamudul. The case is, rightfully, believed to be politically motivated.
It is worth noting that Mahamudul Haque had been seen in street protests demanding justice for the killing of Abu Sayed, a student at BRUR, and his colleagues and students that claim that the charges against him are fabricated and question his arrest.
Ever since the fall of the previous government, Bangladesh has seen the incredibly troubling and increasingly widespread phenomenon of false cases being lodged against citizens in the context of the deaths we witnessed last year during the July revolution. This trend, unless clamped down on, holds significant implications for the further decay of our legal system.
While the interim government has, on multiple occasions, addressed that there is little they can do to stop false cases being lodged, such excuses do not hold water any more. These cases are quite unabashedly being made with ill intent, and hold significant ramifications for our legal system being weaponized by individuals who lack scruples.
The law advisor and the incumbent administration at large must go through these cases with the utmost case and must bring those responsible for lodging false cases against innocent individuals to book.
