The trend of harassing lawsuits is increasing across the country. Many innocent people are becoming accused in these cases and are spending their days in extreme anxiety and fear. Newspapers have published editorials on this issue, calling on the interim government to take effective measures.
In the wake of the student uprising and the killings during the anti-discrimination student movement, cases are being filed across the country. Incredibly, even those at the forefront of this movement have been accused of murder.
It has been alleged that many people are being implicated to harass them. Among them are women. The plaintiffs in these cases do not even know some of these female defendants. In one case, a female defendant has been referred to as a man. Even though the Sutrapur area of the capital was the scene of a killing, many people living outside Dhaka have been accused.
It is alleged that the BNP, its affiliates, and Jamaat leaders in the respective areas are controlling and determining who will be accused in these cases. In other words, they are framing the cases. As a result, many innocent people are being accused of murder. Over 766 people died during the student uprising and the subsequent period.
Cases have been filed in various districts, including Dhaka, in connection with these incidents. Hundreds of people have been named as accused in each case. Such cases are still being filed. The accused in these cases include businessmen, journalists, artists, athletes, civil society activists, and ordinary people. This has created mixed reactions among the people of the country.
Most of those accused in these cases, other than political leaders, are unaware that they have been made accused. According to newspaper investigations, a housewife, Shamima, is involved with a business establishment owned by her husband! She has never been to Sutrapur. Moreover, she was at the forefront of a procession as a parent in the anti-discrimination student movement in Dhanmondi-Mohammadpur. Even then, she has been made an accused in a murder case. Several such facts have come to light in newspaper investigations.
In a warning notice issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs last Monday, it has been said that law enforcement agencies have been instructed to take legal action against those who are involved in malicious and harassing activities through false cases. The anti-discrimination student movement has also requested not to harass innocent people with false or fabricated cases without verification.
According to sources in Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), people have filed cases in whatever way they could after the 5th of August situation. Moreover, it is not possible to know who is being accused in the court cases.
Sara Hossain, the unpaid Executive Director of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), stated: “We’ve been seeing various kinds of cases for the past two weeks. Some have 30-40, even 50 or more accused. While people may have anger and resentment, filing such cases won’t work or last. They won’t even pass the first stage. These cases are questioning the movement and its outcomes.”
She further commented, “This must stop. The First Information Reports (FIRs) filed in cases related to the killings during the anti-discrimination movement must be clear and transparent. If there is ambiguity, the innocent will be punished, and the real culprits will escape. There are many video footages from the time of the movement; these must be verified and accurate information presented. The government must play an effective role in stopping harassing lawsuits. No one should be wronged. The transparency and accountability of the cases must be maintained, and the due legal process must be followed. I hope the interim government will take this matter seriously.
