Stop the trend of concocted cases
Law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh have displayed the rare ability of concocting cases on the basis on events that never even took place! And one such case has been filed against the central leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), including its secretary general. This is obviously a move simply to tackle the opposition before the upcoming general election.
According to news reports, several leaders and activists were arrested while on their way home from the party’s public rally at Suhrawardy Udyan on Sunday. In the case filed against them at the Hatirjheel police station, it was stated that BNP secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other central leaders of the party had made provocative anti-government statements at the public rally after which around 70 to 80 activists of BNP, Chhatra Dal, Juba Dal, Jamaat and Shibir gathered at the Maghbazar railway gate area under Hatirjheel police station and obstructed vehicular movement. They hurled bricks and brickbats at the law enforcement personnel with the intention to kill, as well as beat them up and exploded cocktail bombs.
The next day, speaking to local traders in the area as well as political leaders and activists, the Prothom Alo correspondent found no basis to these claims of the police. The Awami League president of the local ward said, “I didn’t hear of anything like that.” Why would the local people remain silent if BNP activists went on a rampage, damaging property there? Awami League general secretary’s reply to this question of the journalists was an obvious evasion. He said, when BNP was in power, they filed false cases against Awami League leaders, accusing them of stealing ferry plates. Even if that was so, that does not justify false cases being filed against BNP leaders now. Both such actions are condemnable and a violation of the law.
BNP claims that 11 false cases have been filed in the districts and 58 false cases in the city. These include eight in Sherpur, four in Tangail, six in Dinajpur, two in Narayanganj, four in Khulna, three in Khulna city, one in Shariatpur district, two in Madaripur, Two in Magura, two in Patuakhali, two in Sirajganj, one in Bhola, two in Netrakona, eight in Comilla, three in Mymensingh, two in Narsingdi, two in Habiganj and four in Rajshahi city. A total of 3740 leaders and activists have been accused and another 5700 unidentified leaders and activists have also been accused.
It is normal for the government to take action against anyone who creates disruption during political programmes. But when no such occurrence took place, it is not only unlawful but instigative too, to concoct cases against BNP central leaders, including the party’s secretary general. The fears expressed by the Editors’ Council and other concerned persons of the media regarding the misuse of the recently passed digital security act, have now been proven true by the police. If they can file charges about events that did not even happen, then they can easily get a whiff of conspiracy in reports that have not even been published in the media. When the over-eager police officials file such false cases before the election, this not only harms the election environment, but puts the government into question too.
Three lawyers have filed a writ, calling for a neutral judicial commission to look into these cases. It is hoped that justice is done.