Politically-Motivated Cases
Subed, 71 other cases to be withdrawn
The government on Thursday decided to withdraw 72 more cases, mostly filed against leaders and activists of the Awami League and its front organisations.
The national committee to review and recommend withdrawal of the ‘politically-motivated cases’ took the decision in its 31st meeting at the secretariat with the state minister for law Qamrul Islam in the chair.
The cases against AL lawmakers Subed Ali Bhuiyan and Aminur Rahman Khan Rana, among others, were recommended for quashing, Qamrul said, adding that they would not review any more such cases.
Aminur Rahman, a lawmaker for Tangail 3 constituency, was facing a murder charge, said officials adding at least 10 such cases were recommended for withdrawal in the meeting.
More than 7,000 cases, including those relating to murders and corruption, mostly filed by the military-backed caretaker administration and the BNP-led government against leaders and activists of AL, have so far been recommended for withdrawal by the national committee which had received over 11,000 cases for review.
‘A total of 277 cases were placed at today’s meeting after the scrutiny by the district-level committees… But we have recommended 72 cases be quashed, all of them filed during the rule of Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance government and the immediate-past interim government to harass Awami League leaders and
activists,’ Qamrul told a press briefing.
The committee had wrapped up its task with this meeting, he added.
Thursday’s meeting, however, did not recommend withdrawal of any such cases against the leaders of the BNP although many cases were also filed against them during the military-backed interim government.
About the nature of the lawsuits, the junior minister said there were no ‘serious cases’, excepting one or two relating to murder, among those recommended for withdrawal.
At least 111 cases which were rejected earlier were placed for reconsideration of the committee on the day. Thirty of them were finally recommended for withdrawal, the committee chief noted.
The national review committee, however, cancelled its previous decision to withdraw the case filed in connection with the allegation of torture on Prothom Alo journalist Tipu Sultan following criticism from various quarters, including the media.
Replying to a question, Qamrul said the AL-led government did not file any such ‘politically motivated’ cases against opposition leaders since it had assumed office in 2009.
When asked about the cases against senior leaders of BNP, including its acting secretary general, in connection with vandalism and bombing of the secretariat in recent times, the state minister said BNP’s central leadership had brought in terrorism and they must be responsible for the recent incidents of violence and arsons.
The inter-ministry National Review Committee, formed on 17 February, 2009, has been reviewing the ‘cases of harassment’ filed during the tenures of the BNP-led alliance government (2001-06) and
the military-controlled interim administration of Fakhruddin Ahmed (2007-08), mainly against politicians.
The committee has not recommended withdrawal of any such cases filed against the opposition parties, except two against Bangladesh Nationalist Party leaders – former law minister Moudud Ahmed and former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman.
-With New Age input
