286 cases in Dhaka, about 450,000 accused

At least 286 cases were filed in Dhaka in 23 days over clashes and violence centering the quota reform movement with about 2,000 people being named and accusing another 450,000 unidentified persons, according to sources at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

At least 3,058 people were arrested in these lawsuits filed with various police stations across the capital between 12 July and 3 August. It could not be ascertained how many people have received bail in these cases so far.

An analysis of the documents of these 286 cases showed 1,983 people were named in 61 cases in addition to unidentified accused, while none was named in 123 cases despite mentioning the specific number of the accused. A total of 445,417 unidentified people were accused in a total of 184 cases including those 123 lawsuits with unnamed accused.

Besides, neither a name nor a number of the accused was mentioned in 102 cases as those cases stated unidentified accused committed the crimes.

A nonstop movement began on 1 July demanding reform to the quota system in government jobs and protesters met with the first attack on 15 July, followed by a series of attacks and firing shots on students. However, it was repeatedly said from various levels of the Sheikh Hasina government that BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami were waging the movement, not the students. Yet, students were accused in each case, and the Sheikh Hasina government collapsed in the wake of the students-people uprising on 5 August.

A decision was taken to withdraw the cases following the formation of the interim government on 8 August. Law, justice and parliamentary affairs advisor Asif Nazrul told Prothom Alo it has been decided that criminal cases filed against students and people between 1 July and 5 August will be withdrawn in three working days.

Sources said members of the DPM’s prosecution department started working on the withdrawal of cases. A senior official of the department told Prothom Alo, “We have started preparation to withdraw cases filed during the quota reform movement as per the instructions.”

At least 213 people were killed in attacks, clashes and firing centring the quota reform movement across the country between 16 July and 3 August. Cases were filed in over at least 64 killings in Dhaka. According to the case statements, these killings happened due to firing by terrorists or miscreants in the guise of protesters. Nothing has been ascertained over these 64 cases yet.

A minimum of 3,000 people to a maximum of 12,000 people were accused in 65 out of 181 lawsuits with unnamed accused. Cases filed with three police stations of Gulshan division have the maximum number of accused. Eleven cases were filed with Badda police station accusing a minimum of 3,000 unidentified people to a maximum of 10,000 unidentified people. A minimum of 4,000 to a maximum of 7,000 unidentified people were made accused in six cases each in Gulshan police station while a minimum of 3,000 to a maximum of 12,000 unidentified people were made accused in four cases each in Vatara station

Police learned the political viewpoints of 2,630 people arrested in 243 out of 286 cases in the capital centering the quota reform movement. According to the DMP, 2,284 out of 2,630 or 86.84 per cent of the total arrested are found to have no political affiliation. Other than this, 269 were leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), 63 of Jamaat-e-Islami, 10 of Islami Chhatra Shibir, 3 of Gano Odhikar Parishad and one of JP, and all constitute 13.16 per cent of total detention. Most of them are on bail now.

Supreme Court lawyer Shahdin Malik told Prothom Alo police and criminal judiciary system was used to suppress and intimidate the dissidents in the past, and these lawsuits were also filed with ill motives. There is a scope to launch administrative investigation as to why police filed cases in such a manner. Besides, these cases might be quashed after filing petitions at the court concerned, he added.