Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman on Thursday said in Jatiya Sangsad that a total of 1,855 cases have been filed across the country over incidents of killings, enforced disappearances and torture committed during the fascist Awami League regime.
Responding to a scripted question from opposition Parliamentarian from Kurigram-1, Md Anwarul Islam, in Jatiya Sangsad, Assaduzzaman informed that among the cases, 799 were filed on murder charges while 1,056 were on other charges.
“So far, investigation has been completed in 158 cases, including 48 murder cases, and charge sheets have been submitted to the courts. Trial proceedings in these cases are currently underway,” the minister said.
He added that investigation into the remaining 1,697 cases is ongoing. “Given the large number of cases, the investigation process is complex and time-consuming. However, the police are working diligently to submit reports as quickly as possible,” he added.
Highlighting the importance of due process, Asaduzzaman noted that evidence collection and investigation operations are being carried out in strict compliance with legal procedures to ensure that there is no legal negligence during trial.
On the issue of bail for the accused in these cases, he clarified that it falls entirely under the jurisdiction of the court. “State counsels are actively opposing bail petitions by presenting arguments in each case,” he said.
Reaffirming the government’s stance, the minister said the government is committed to ensuring justice for victims of brutal crimes committed during the previous regime and their families.
Politically Motivated Harassment Cases –
A total of 23,865 politically motivated harassment cases have so far been withdrawn, and the process of withdrawing the remaining cases is currently underway, the Minister added.
He added this part in replying to the question from Muhammad Ali Asgar (Pabna-3).
“The government does not have precise statistics on the number of harassment cases filed against leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami across the country,” the former attorney general and current justice minister told.
The minister explained that political identity is not mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR) at the time of filing a case, making it difficult to determine such figures accurately.
However, citing information received from BNP’s central office, he said that from 2007 to January 11, 2025, a total of 142,983 false and harassment cases were filed against BNP leaders and activists.
“No official data is available regarding such cases filed against Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists during the same period,” he added.
The minister further said that after assuming office, the current government formed a four-member district-level committee on March 5, 2026, headed by the District Magistrate, to review and recommend the withdrawal of politically motivated cases.
