Bangladesh police fail to complete 90% of July 2024 protest cases: Report

Police in Bangladesh have failed to complete investigations in over 90% of 1,855 cases linked to July 2024 protests, raising concerns over justice delays, false accusations, and systemic weaknesses, with journalists and civilians among those still awaiting case resolution

Dhaka: Bangladeshi police have failed to complete investigations in more than 90 per cent of the 1,855 cases filed over killings and violence during the July 2024 protests, even after nearly two years of the incidents, according to a report.

The delay has intensified concern and frustration among victims’ families and those alleging false implication in the cases.

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Citing the Police Headquarters (PHQ) data, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported that among the cases filed across the country, 799 were lodged over murders and the remaining 1,056 on other charges, including attempted murder.

Citing legal experts, the report said that the slow pace in investigations reflects the complexity of the cases and exposes the weaknesses in the country’s criminal justice system.

“Filing of a large number of cases immediately after a mass uprising is not unusual, but investigations must be conducted with due diligence and completed within a reasonable timeframe,” The Daily Star quoted Ishrat Hasan, a lawyer at the Supreme Court, as saying.

“If probes remain stalled for years, both the victims and those falsely accused suffer, ultimately undermining public confidence in the justice system,” she noted.

Ishrat noted that the presence of a large number of unnamed accused in many cases has significantly complicated and slowed down the investigative process.

“Ensuring accountability for the killings and safeguarding those wrongly accused are equally important for upholding the rule of law… If the authorities fail to ensure transparent, impartial, and timely investigations, the justice process will become ineffective,” she added.

The Daily Star report mentioned that thousands of people, including dozens of journalists, continue to await the disposal of the cases, with many claiming that they had no role in the killings or acts of violence during the demonstrations.

It cited court records, which documented that at least 24 cases have been registered with various police stations in Dhaka city against 77 journalists on different charges, including murder, attempted murder, and unlawful assembly in connection with the July 2024 protests.

Speaking to The Daily Star on condition of anonymity, a journalist said he was shocked after being named in a murder case with Jatrabari Police Station over alleged involvement in killings during a protest on August 5, 2024.

“I knew nothing about the incident. I learnt about it from social media… This false case has taken a heavy toll on me over the last one and a half years,” he stated.

Tariqul Islam, a lawyer defending several accused in Dhaka courts, said many individuals without political affiliation had been subjected to arbitrary arrest.

“They were listed as unidentified suspects under vague or fabricated charges and forced to remain in jail for months without trial… Such practices obstruct the course of justice and constitute a grave violation of fundamental human rights,” The Daily Star quoted him as saying.