An inter-ministerial committee in Bangladesh has so far recommended the withdrawal of nearly 11,500 cases deemed to be politically motivated, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday (May 28).

The committee, formed to address allegations of political harassment, has reviewed and recommended the dismissal of 11,448 cases over 16 meetings, according to a press release signed by ministry spokesperson Dr Md Rezaul Karim.

The statement rejected allegations from opposition parties that the government has been slow in withdrawing such cases, calling the criticism “not objective.” 

It said the committee, chaired by Asif Nazrul, an adviser to the Law Ministry, is working regularly to review case files and make recommendations based on reports from district-level committees and the ministry’s Solicitor’s Office.

Political parties are being encouraged to expedite the process by submitting lists of alleged harassment cases along with relevant legal documents.

Between January 10 and 14 this year, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) submitted a list of approximately 16,000 cases, while Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami submitted 1,200 cases on April 27. 

Around half of these have already been recommended for withdrawal through the committee’s own review process.

However, the ministry noted that the absence of complete documentation—such as complaints and charge sheets—has delayed progress on the remaining cases.

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh submitted a list of 44 cases on May 20, and authorities say these are now under review with action being taken on an urgent basis.

The government urged all political parties to promptly submit full documentation to facilitate swift decisions on case withdrawals.

SMS/