761 cases filed against police in 11 months

Staff Reporter :

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has reported that 761 cases have been filed against police officers nationwide in the 11 months following the fall of the previous government. These cases involve 1,168 officers, of whom 61 have been arrested to date.

While some internal disciplinary actions have been taken, the report underscores a persistent lack of substantial accountability, reflecting the government’s limited capacity and political will to fully address the issue.

The findings were presented on Monday at TIB’s conference room in Dhaka’s Midas Centre, as part of the organisation’s report titled New Bangladesh: Observations on a Year after the Fall of the Authoritarian Government.

TIB Fellow Shahzada M Akram highlighted that legal action has been initiated against those responsible for violence during last year’s mass uprising, including perpetrators and instigators.

Out of 1,602 cases filed overall, 638 relate to murder. So far, 87 ministers and members of parliament from the former government have been arrested.

Investigations are underway in approximately 70 per cent of the cases, with 60 to 70 murder cases nearing conclusion.

Akram also noted progress made by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) during the past year, which has received 429 complaints and filed 27 cases.

Seventy-three individuals have been arrested in connection with these proceedings, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. While trials have commenced, the pace remains slow, particularly concerning investigations into the July-August genocide.

Formal charges have been framed against three individuals, including Sheikh Hasina, and trials are ongoing. Furthermore, nearly all harassment cases lodged during the student and public movement from 1 July to 5 August 2024 have been withdrawn.

The report unveiling was attended by TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, along with officials Zulkarnain, Farhana Rahman, and others.