The metropolitan public prosecutor (MPP) has recommended withdrawal of 21 cases against former Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim considering those "politically motivated" and meant for "harassment".
MPP Mohammad Abdullah Abu on Monday made the recommendation after scrutinising the case dockets and documents, sources say.
The MPP also asked the authorities to send the cases to the district magistrate of Dhaka for his opinion in this regard.
Selim, who is facing a staggering 120 cases on various charges, had earlier filed petitions for withdrawal of 85 of them, the highest number of appeals filed by an individual.
His counsel Pran Nath told The Daily Star the AL leader faces 120 cases, while another 17 were disposed of through 'mutual understanding' between the plaintiffs and the defendant.
The charges Selim is facing include murder, attempt to murder, extortion, theft, holding unlawful assembly and obstructing law-enforcers from discharging duties.
The cases were filed during the rules of BNP-led four-party and the last interim governments.
Selim, who was elected an MP on AL ticket in the 1996 elections from Lalbagh constituency, allegedly patronised building up of a cadre group.
Locals fear if he is acquitted of the large number of charges, his activities would exceed the previous records.
Former BNP lawmaker from Lalbagh constituency Nasir Uddin Ahmed Pintu, political rival of Selim, also enjoyed similar privilege during the BNP-led alliance rule.
Pintu was given acquittal in 76 lawsuits, say sources at the metropolitan public prosecutor's office.
Selim, also joint general secretary of Dhaka city unit AL, was sent to jail on May 27 on his surrender before a Dhaka court in connection with a corruption case. He was sentenced in absentia to 13 years' imprisonment in that case but was released on bail later.
Selim was once a ward commissioner of Lalbagh from BNP but he left the party after being deprived of nomination and joined the AL prior to the 1996 elections.
He lost the October 2001 parliamentary elections to Pintu.
Terming the cases "fake" in his petitions filed with the Dhaka district magistrate, Selim said the cases were filed against him and his political colleagues with "political motives to harass them".
Earlier on different dates, the MPP had recommended withdrawal of over 335 cases against Prime Minister and AL chief Sheikh Hasina and others including Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and Home Minister Sahara Khatun.
On receipt of recommendations from the MPP, the district committee headed by the district magistrate reviewed the case documents and sent those to the home ministry for its decision.
The ministry decided to withdraw over 174 cases against Hasina and other leaders. But it rejected the petitions for withdrawal of 25 cases as those were filed on charges of theft, robbery, murder and rape.
Meanwhile, the government has yet to decide withdrawal of any cases filed against Leader of the Opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her family members.
They had earlier submitted petitions for withdrawal of 20 cases.
Hasina, Khaleda and many other political leaders had petitioned for withdrawal of 2,781 cases filed against them.