The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs is set to withdraw at least 20,000 false and politically motivated cases within the next six months, aiming to relieve thousands of people from long-standing legal harassment and stigma.
Law Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul made the announcement on Thursday while speaking at a programme in Dhaka, stating, “The government has taken a bold step to withdraw false or politically motivated cases, and it has already recommended the withdrawal of around 12,000 cases, which impact the lives of at least 300,000 individuals.”
Ministry sources said the inter-ministerial committee, headed by Dr Nazrul, has so far held 16 meetings—up to May 28—during which it proposed the withdrawal of 11,448 political cases. Work is ongoing to expand this initiative further.
The ministry had earlier urged political parties to submit case details, including First Information Reports (FIRs) and charge-sheets, to facilitate the withdrawal process, especially in cases filed with the intent to harass opposition leaders and activists during previous regimes.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) submitted a list of approximately 16,000 cases by January 14, 2025, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami submitted 1,200 cases by April 27. Dr Nazrul noted that the committee had already moved forward to recommend the withdrawal of nearly half of these cases on its own initiative.
He also criticised some political parties for delays in providing necessary documentation. “The lack of FIRs and charge-sheets has been a key obstacle in processing these cases,” Dr Nazrul said.
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, for instance, submitted a list of 44 cases only on May 20, and swift action is being taken following the review of relevant documents, he added.
In a recent Facebook post, Dr Nazrul reiterated the ministry’s commitment to ensuring justice by clearing politically influenced cases and once again urged political parties to cooperate fully by submitting the required paperwork to expedite the process.