23,865 politically motivated cases withdrawn: Law Minister

A total of 23,865 cases filed for political reasons have so far been withdrawn, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman told Parliament on Thursday (April 30).

He made the disclosure in a written reply to a question from lawmaker Muhammad Ali Asgar during the session, which was chaired by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kaiser Kamal.

The minister said that, according to information provided by the BNP central office, a total of 142,983 false and harassment-related cases were filed against BNP leaders and activists between 2007 and January 2025.

He also noted that the government does not have official statistics on cases filed against Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists during what he described as the “fascist regime,” adding that case documents generally do not specify party affiliation of the accused, making accurate classification difficult.

The minister said efforts are ongoing to withdraw remaining politically motivated cases. After the government assumed office, district-level committees headed by district magistrates were formed on March 5 to review such cases.

A central committee headed by the law minister was later formed on March 8 to examine recommendations from district committees and approve withdrawals.

He said the committees review case documents, including FIRs, charge sheets, and public prosecutor opinions, and recommend withdrawal if cases are found to be politically motivated and not in the public interest.

So far, 23,865 such cases have been withdrawn, while the process to withdraw remaining cases is continuing, he added.