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The filing of flawed and wholesale cases over the murders of and attacks on protesters during the student-people uprising is likely to hinder justice and pave the way for perpetrators to escape punishment.

Police headquarters officials said that over 2,500 cases were filed over the incidents of murders and attacks during the mass uprising till mid-November.

They also said that about 8,000 people were arrested in mass uprising cases till October 31.

The investigation into the cases excepting those filed with the International Crimes Tribunal remains slow in three months and a half of the ouster of the regime of Sheikh Hasina by the uprising on August 5.

The flaws in cases include naming people who have died or are living out of the country, showing people alive as killed during the uprising and many more inconsistencies, said law enforcement officials dealing with the cases.

In some cases, the plaintiffs do not know the people named in the cases and allegations have it that some students and political people have prepared the complaints to frame their opponents.

‘I do not know the people named in the case as students and lawyers drafted the complaint and I was asked to put my signature on it,’ said Abdul Matin, the father of schoolboy Abdul Motalib, who was allegedly killed in police firing at Jigattala in the capital on August 4. 

Matin filed the case with the Dhanmandi police station against 176 people, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former jute and textile minister Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former shipping minister Shajahan Khan, on August 26.

Matin alleged that neither Zainul Haque Sikder  Women’s Medical College and Hospital provided him with a death certificate nor the police ensured the postmortem examination after more than three months of his son’s death.

Matin, a day labourer, said that police officers told him that the body of his son Motalib, a Class VIII student of Moneshwar Government Primary School at Hazaribagh, would be exhumed after the rainy season.

‘I informed the investigation officer about a month ago but he did not contact me so far,’ he added.

Home adviser retired lieutenant general Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, ‘We are taking necessary legal steps so that no false or fictitious case is filed.’ 

After the 4th advisory council meeting on law and order on November 24, he also said that the government formed a committee to prevent harassment of the people named in false cases. 

On November 13, law adviser Asif Nazrul said that it was embarrassing for the interim government that dubious and unsubstantiated cases were being filed.

He said that they had sought advice from the Judiciary Reform Commission to address the issues legally.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party Dutpara union unit general secretary Nurul Amin filed a murder case with the Araihazar police station on August 22 accusing deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and 130 others.

The plaintiff accused Hasina and 130 others of killing Md Babul Mia, 49, during the mass uprising on August 4, although Babul died of a stroke at DKMC Hospital Ltd at Rupganj on June 3.

The deceased Babul Mia, was a driver’s assistant at Meghla Paribahan and then became the owner of three buses of the company. 

Before death, Babul Mia was reportedly campaigning as a candidate for the BNP’s labour body Sramik Dal’s Araihazar upazila unit president.

‘My husband fell sick in the morning on June 3, we took him to the DKMC Hospital where he died on the day and the hospital doctors declared that he died of a stroke,’ victim’s wife Monira Sarker said. 

She said that she did not know Nurul Amin, 43, who filed the case.

Araihazar police station officer-in-charge Md Enayet Hossian said that they were investigating the case. 

‘Anyone can file a case but we can say if it is false or not  after investigation,’ he added.

An attempt to murder case has been filed against 180 people, including Supreme Court lawyer and rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra chairman ZI Khan Panna, for an attack on a youth, Ahadul Islam, on July 19.

Ahadul’s father Md Baker filed the case with the Khilgaon police station in Dhaka on October 17.

On October 21, Baker, however, petitioned Khilgaon police station officer-in-charge Md Daud Hossain requesting him to drop Panna from the case amid huge criticisms.

Baker, hailed from Mehendiganj in Barishal, claimed that the Supreme Court lawyer was mistakenly implicated in the case due to the former’s ignorance.

The officer-in-charge instructed subinspector Imran Hossain to take appropriate steps.

The senior lawyer also secured an anticipatory bail in the case on October 21.

Supreme Court lawyer and rights activists Sara Hossain said that vexatious cases were being filed by individuals and private parties, but state agencies — police and courts — kept processing arrests, rejecting bail and remanding people in custody.

‘We have seen such misrule under many different administrations but this is the time to make a change from the past, not to repeat what has been done before,’ said Sara.

She suggested that a high-level body should be established by the government with experts to oversee the process of justice and accountability for the cases relating to the uprising.

‘This means curbing the filing of wholesale cases, ensuring investigation by an independent and high-level team, scrutinising the cases to screen out vexatious cases, establishing a policy and priorities for prosecution,’ she added.

Three deceased Awami League leaders — Cumilla south city AL former forest and environment affairs secretary Abdul Momin, its former agriculture affairs secretary Md Kamal Uddin Majumdar, and former member Wahidur Rahman Farid — have been accused of attack on the recent anti-discrimination student protests in Cumilla.

Comilla Sadar south model police station officer-in-charge Mohammad Rafiqul Islam said, ‘The matter will be investigated and If deceased people are found to be named in the case, they will be dropped.’

Student Movement Against Discrimination coordinator and Cumilla University student Md Emran filed the case against 96 people, including former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal’s younger brother and former upazila chairman Golam Sarwar and former upazila chairman Abdul Hai Bablu as prime accused.

Abu Sayeed, son of Abdul Momen who died on June 24 after being hit by a train, said, ‘My father died in June and how could he participate in the August 4 attack?’

Kamal Uddin Mazumder died of a heart attack on July 11, 2023, his neighbour Aminul Islam said, terming prosecution of a dead person  highly reprehensible.

Farhad, son of Wahidur Rahman Farid, said that his father died of kidney disease in September 2023.

‘It is extremely unfair to name a man who died a year ago in a case for an incident taking place a year later,’ he said.

The police arrested Kulsum Begum on November 21 on the charge of filing a false case claiming her husband’s death during the mass uprising.

Kulsum filed the murder case against 130 people with the Dhaka Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on October 24, claiming that her husband Al Amin, 34, was shot dead while taking part in a procession at Ashulia on August 5. 

A team of Ashulia police station, acting on a tip-off, arrested Kulsum and two of her accomplices Ruhul Amin and Shafikul Islam in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday.

Ashulia police station recorded a first information report over the complaint on November 8.

The Police Headquarters assistant inspector general Enamul Haque Sagar urged people not to worry about false cases and innocent people would not be charged or arrested.

Asked about the slow pace in the investigation, Enamul said, ‘We are conducting the investigations slowly to ensure a proper investigation. We want to ensure justice for the victims and punishment for the perpetrators.’    

Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government took oath on August 8 following Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India amid student mass uprising on August 5.

Many perpetrators in the uprising, including Awami League and its associate bodies leaders and activists, police and bureaucrats are still in hiding.