A large number of cases filed over deaths and attempted killings during the July 2024 uprising are collapsing in court, with investigators citing weak evidence and fabricated claims behind many complaints.
Of 14,137 accused in hundreds of cases—though the exact total remains unclear—10,987 have been acquitted after charges could not be proven, while 3,150 have been convicted, according to available data.
The figures suggest nearly four out of five accused have been cleared.
Investigators say the trend reflects widespread filing of cases based on misinformation or false claims.
One such case involved a complaint filed by Jahirul Islam, who accused 123 leaders and activists of Awami League, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, over the alleged death of his son Jihad during the July uprising.
Police later found that Jihad was alive.
Investigators said the case had falsely portrayed an injury sustained by the child elsewhere as a killing in Keraniganj.
A final report recommending dismissal of the charges was submitted, and on 30 October last year a senior judicial magistrate accepted the report and discharged the accused.
The investigating officer, Badiar Rahman of Keraniganj Model Police Station, said several individuals had encouraged the father to file the case.
“He claimed he was induced by the promise of housing and cash to file the complaint describing his son as injured, but a group later presented the boy as dead without his knowledge,” Badiar Rahman told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Under Bangladeshi law, there are provisions for action against those who file deliberately false cases, including the possibility of counter-cases.
However, legal experts say enforcement remains rare.
Omar Faruk Faruki, Public Prosecutor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, said the law clearly allows punishment for filing false cases intended to harass others, though such measures are seldom applied.
Supreme Court lawyer Khademul Islam said an independent investigation into fabricated cases was needed.
“Those who have used false or staged information to harass others or profit from litigation should be held accountable,” he said.
He added that such action would help ensure justice for victims while protecting innocent people from harassment.
According to a UN Human Rights Office report released on 12 February 2025, around 1,400 people were killed and thousands more injured during the July uprising and its aftermath in Bangladesh. The report highlights that the majority of deaths resulted from gunshot wounds, including 12-13% being children.
Thousands of cases were filed across the country in the aftermath of the mass uprising, but allegations have emerged from the outset that many of those were used to extract money.
Reports suggest that in some instances, individuals were named as accused either after refusing to pay or as a means to pressure them into financial settlements.
Police investigations have uncovered numerous cases involving multiple murder or attempted murder complaints over the same incident, as well as claims based on entirely fabricated narratives.
Investigating officers have submitted final reports in many such cases, recommending acquittal for large numbers of accused due to lack of credible evidence.
Omar Faruk Faruki said many cases rely on “floating witnesses” who cannot later be traced.
“In many instances, the complainant and the accused reach a settlement outside court,” he said.
Khademul Islam said there were allegations that cases were filed with large numbers of accused as part of a broader “business model”.
“Some individuals have filed cases using false information or staged incidents to serve personal interests,” he said.
He also pointed to concerns over weaknesses in investigations.
“Police must conduct more careful and rigorous inquiries so that no guilty person escapes through legal loopholes or lack of evidence, and no innocent person is subjected to harassment,” he added.
78% of accused acquitted in five months after uprising
A majority of defendants in cases linked to the July uprising have been acquitted, with court data pointing to widespread evidentiary gaps.
Between August and December 2024, during the interim government’s tenure, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate and Chief Metropolitan Magistrate courts disposed of around 3,500 cases.
Of 3,571 accused in those cases, 2,894 were acquitted and 677 were convicted.
The trend continued in 2025.
From January to December, courts disposed of around 9,500 cases involving 9,520 accused.
Of them, 7,400 were acquitted, while 2,120 were convicted.
Overall, about 78 per cent of accused individuals were cleared.
‘Victims’ could not be traced
In one case filed on 3 September 2024 at Dhanmondi Police Station, 113 people, including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, were accused of attempting to murder 10 individuals, including Sahed Ali.
The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) was assigned to probe the case, and four people were arrested during the inquiry.
However, the investigating officer, PBI Inspector Shahjahan Bhuiyan, was unable to locate the alleged victims.
He later submitted a final report to the court on 5 November recommending dismissal of the case, and the accused were discharged.
Killing reported in one area, case filed in another
During the anti-discrimination student movement, a 21-year-old student named Riaz was shot dead in the Bosila area of Mohammadpur in Dhaka.
But a separate case was filed in Keraniganj accusing 310 individuals, including former upazila chairman Shaheen Ahmed, of killing the same person.
The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Md Ilias Hossain of Keraniganj Model Police Station, found no evidence that anyone by that name had been killed in the area.
He submitted a final report to the court recommending that the case be dismissed.
Abdul Nur, a sub-inspector in the general records office of the same police station, said the court discharged the accused after finding no basis to the allegations.
Those in custody were ordered to be released immediately, he added.
Legal provisions exist, but rarely used
Under Section 211 of the Penal Code, legal action can be taken against a complainant if a case is proven to be false or baseless.
In serious cases – where the alleged offence carries the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a sentence of seven years or more – the complainant may face up to seven years in prison, along with a financial penalty.
A magistrate may also order compensation for the affected individual.
Victims of such cases can file counter-cases.
Despite these provisions, legal experts say enforcement remains limited.
Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told TIMES that while the law exists to act against those filing false cases, its application is rare.
He said it was also unclear whether any precedents had been set in cases related to the July uprising.
Dhaka Judge Court lawyer Farzana Yasmin said individuals who spend months in prison in connection with false cases often have little recourse.
“There is no real remedy for the time they have lost,” she said.
When asked whether the government would take action against complainants in alleged false cases linked to the uprising, Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kazal declined to comment.
