Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Md Asaduzzaman on Saturday said extrajudicial killings have been reduced to nearly zero during the tenure of the current government.
Asaduzzaman made these remarks while speaking as the chief guest at a consultation meeting organised by the human rights organisation “Odhikar” at CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka.
He said the government has been working tirelessly to withdraw cases filed for political harassment between 2009 and 2024. He added that the process is currently at the final decision-making stage.
However, he specified two clear exceptions to this policy. He affirmed that rape cases will not be considered for withdrawal, regardless of claims that they were politically motivated.
Regarding drug-related cases, he said these would be meticulously scrutinised to determine if they were filed to harass opponents before any final decision is taken.
Addressing the Human Rights Commission Act and the Enforced Disappearance (Prevention and Redress) Act, Asaduzzaman informed the meeting that three rounds of consultations have been completed with civil society, law enforcement agencies, and development partners.
The draft bills have already been sent to the Cabinet Committee and are expected to be presented in National Parliament shortly after approval at the next Cabinet meeting.
Regarding judicial reform, he said the independence of the judiciary cannot be secured on paper alone. Instead, a truly independent system must be established by appointing qualified, skilled, and honest judges through a transparent process.
He added that the government maintains a “zero tolerance” policy regarding enforced disappearances. He also affirmed that the government’s stance against hegemonism, imperialism, anarchism, and fundamentalism would continue.
Requesting time to implement various reform activities, he said, “If we make mistakes, point them out to us. We will welcome it.” He cautioned, however, that the government would not support any measures that might reinstate hegemonism, imperialism, or fundamentalism.
The meeting was presided over by Tasneem Siddiqui, president of Odhikar.
Other speakers at the event included Editor of Amar Desh Mahmudur Rahman, Chief Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal Aminul Islam, former Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, and Director of Odhikar ASM Nasiruddin Elan.
