No exact statistics on political cases; over 23,000 cases withdrawn: Law Minister

PNN News Desk, Dhaka

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md. Asaduzzaman has said that the government does not have exact statistics on how many politically motivated cases were filed during the previous government’s tenure.

However, he said 23,865 cases filed for political harassment have already been withdrawn.

He made the statement during the question-and-answer session of Parliament on Thursday. The session was chaired by Kaisar Kamal.

MP Muhammad Ali Asgar asked how many politically motivated harassment cases were filed against BNP and Jamaat leaders during the previous government and whether there is any plan to withdraw them.

In response, the minister said political identity is not usually mentioned in case documents, making it impossible to determine exact numbers.

However, citing BNP data, he said that from 2007 to January 11, 2025, a total of 142,983 cases were reportedly filed against its leaders and activists.

He further said that after the current government assumed office, initiatives were taken to review politically motivated cases. District-level committees were formed on March 5, followed by a central committee on March 8, which he himself heads.

So far, 23,865 cases have been withdrawn after review, and remaining cases are being processed gradually.

Parliament also emphasized ensuring transparency and justice in handling such cases.