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In a sweeping legal reset, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has recommended the withdrawal of nearly 24,000 cases it describes as “politically motivated”, filed against opposition leaders and activists during the tenure of the previous Awami League.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said 23,865 cases filed against leaders and activists from a range of political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, Hifazat-e Islam and the Gono Odhikar Parishad, had been recommended for withdrawal following official review, bdnews24.com reports.
The ministry said, taken together with earlier decisions, roughly 500,000 people have now been relieved from cases it attributes to political targeting under the previous Awami League administration.
The review process is being overseen by several committees established on Sept 22 last year, including an inter-ministerial body chaired by Law Advisor Asif Nazrul. Those panels were tasked with examining prosecutions initiated between Jan 6, 2009 and Aug 5, 2024 — a period spanning successive Awami League governments.
Political parties had been invited to submit lists of cases they believed were politically driven. The latest recommendations followed 39 formal review meetings, according to the ministry.
The ministry said the process to withdraw “politically motivated” will continue.