Bangladesh’s Awami League has expressed serious doubts about the legitimacy of cases related to the July 2024 protests, claiming that many of them are fabricated and deceptive. The party criticized the handling of these cases, suggesting that they have been used for personal vendettas, financial benefits, and targeting political opponents. The Police Bureau of Investigation in Bangladesh has reportedly uncovered disturbing practices, such as misrepresenting killings as part of the protests and filing false cases declaring living individuals as deceased.
The Awami League pointed out instances where plaintiffs were unaware of cases filed in their names and where victim details did not match official records. There were also cases where plaintiffs withdrew their complaints when investigators began uncovering inconsistencies. Investigations revealed that a significant number of cases lacked substantial evidence, leading to recommendations for dropping charges against many accused individuals. The party raised concerns about the authenticity of these cases and questioned the potential political or personal motivations behind them.
According to the Awami League, the Police Bureau of Investigation had been tasked with investigating 195 cases related to the July 2024 protests as of April 22 this year. Out of these cases, 24 had no evidence, 20 were withdrawn as false, and seven were duplicates. The party highlighted that the PBI had submitted reports on 52 cases that were deemed unsubstantiated or invalid. At a recent conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s Home Minister requested a comprehensive list of cases filed post August 5, 2024, to address concerns over false and politically motivated cases from the previous interim government.
