Staff Reporter :
Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Dr Asif Nazrul today announced that the interim government has so far withdrawn 752 harassment cases filed against students and citizens who participated in last year’s historic July-August mass uprising.
Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday (31 July ) at the Secretariat, Dr Nazrul said recommendations have been made to drop more than 15,000 politically motivated cases following a thorough review of first information reports (FIRs) and charge sheets by district-level committees and the Law and Justice Division. “In addition to the harassment cases, the government has also withdrawn 408 speech offence cases filed under the cyber law,” he said.
“As a result, thousands of political leaders, activists and ordinary people who had exercised their right to dissent have been freed from legal harassment.”
The briefing marked nearly one year since the interim government was formed on August 8, 2024, following months of mass protests and public sacrifice.
“To uphold the spirit of the uprising and fulfil its aspirations, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has undertaken a series of measures over the past year,” Dr Nazrul said, outlining four major areas of progress: legal reforms, institutional reforms and digitisation, withdrawal of harassment cases, and improvements in daily administrative functions.
Highlighting the legal reforms, he noted amendments to the ICT Act, the enactment of the Supreme Court Judge Appointment Ordinance 2025, changes to the Civil Procedure Code, reforms to criminal laws, an amendment to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, and the formulation of the Cyber Security Ordinance 2025.
The law adviser also detailed the institutional reforms and steps towards digitisation, saying the government has approved the Bangladesh Judicial Service Formation Rules, 2025 to ensure greater independence of the judiciary.
“These new rules allow the Bangladesh Supreme Court to create posts in the Judicial Service and appoint officers to the Law and Justice Division,” he said.
Dr Nazrul added that the government has reviewed the asset declarations and financial records of judges of subordinate courts to enhance accountability, and compiled comprehensive records of all sub-registrars to curb corruption in land registration.
“To strengthen accountability for crimes committed during the uprising, we have also set up a special cell within the ministry to monitor prosecutions related to offences against students and the public,” he said.
Additionally, the ministry has fully digitised its attestation service to make public services more efficient and transparent.
“These steps demonstrate the government’s commitment to uphold justice, protect freedom of expression, and honour the sacrifices made during the July-August movement,” Dr Nazrul said.
