The government has recommended that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the courts concerned drop some 7,500 “politically motivated” cases filed against leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League-led grand alliance during 2007 and 2008 under a caretaker government.
“The government formed committees in every district and a central committee in May 2009 to review the cases and after reviewing them, the committees recommended the authorities concerned to drop those cases,” State Minister for Law Qamrul Islam told this news agency.
Qamrul, who is also the head of the government's central committee, said the government had asked the accused, in July of 2009, to submit applications to their respective district committees for reviewing their cases and a total of 12,000 applications were received till the central committee's last meeting, which was held on September 30 this year.
Of the cases, 350 were filed by the ACC at different times during the state of emergency, which was imposed on 1/11 of 2007 and lifted in September of 2008.
Qamrul said after scrutinising the cases, the central committee recommended the courts concerned to withdraw over 7,500 politically motivated cases filed against leaders and activists of AL-led grand alliance and opposition parties.
He said recommendations were also made to lift about four to five such cases filed against BNP leaders including some of its central committee members.
“After reviewing the cases, we recommended lifting 7,500 politically-motivated ones filed against politicians including some BNP leaders,” he claimed.
Dismissing Qamrul's claims, BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed alleged that the government has dropped almost all cases filed against their own people during the military-backed caretaker government of 2007-2008, but so far no cases filed against BNP and other opposition party activists have been dropped.
“The Awami League-led government is only withdrawing cases filed, including graft ones, against its own people including AL chief and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while similar cases filed against opposition leaders and workers including Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman have not been dropped,” the former law minister told this news agency.
“Instead of lifting cases filed against opposition activists during the caretaker government, the government is filing fresh cases against opposition politicians including Khaleda and her sons Tarique and Arafat Rahman Koko to suppress the voice of the opposition,” Moudud went on to say.
Refuting Moudud's allegation, Qamrul said a number of cases filed, during the last caretaker government, against BNP men have been withdrawn following recommendations made by the committee.
He said recommendations were made to withdraw the cases but it is up to the courts concerned to determine the fate of the cases pending with them.