24,000 politically motivated, harassment cases withdrawn, Law Minister tells Parliament

Law Minister Md. Asaduzzaman has said that some 24,013 cases filed over political harassment during the previous Awami fascist regime, have been withdrawn.

He disclosed this in response to a starred question from Jamaat-e-Islami Member of Parliament Md. Keramat Ali (Chapainawabganj-1) in the National Parliament on Tuesday.

The Minister said the process of withdrawing politically motivated harassment cases began during the interim government. After assuming office, the incumbent government initiated steps to make this process more dynamic and effective. As part of this initiative, a four-member committee was formed at the district level on March 5, 2026, with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) serving as its chairman.

"The district-level committees review the applications for case withdrawal, First Information Reports (FIRs), certified copies of charge sheets where applicable, and opinions from public prosecutors," he added.

The Minister explained that the committee recommends case withdrawals after evaluating whether a case was meant for political harassment, whether continuing the judicial proceedings serves the public interest, and whether ongoing trial proceedings pose a risk to state interests.

The Law Minister further said a six-member central committee, headed by him, was formed on March 8, 2026, to verify the district committees' recommendations and coordinate the overall case withdrawal process.

He said, "If an application is received for the withdrawal of any case that appears to have been filed for political harassment, the government will take the necessary action based on the recommendation of the respective district committee."