Govt to Withdraw 16,000 ‘Ghost Cases’ Filed During AL Tenure

Law Adviser Asif Nazrul

At a press briefing held at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Asif stated that 16,429 politically motivated ghost cases, filed during the AL government’s time in office, will be dismissed. “Out of these, 1,214 cases will be withdrawn within a week,” he confirmed.

Asif clarified that a comprehensive list of 16,429 cases had already been prepared. He emphasized that a meticulous review of each case record is being carried out to confirm whether it was a politically motivated ‘ghost case’ or one filed through irregularities or manipulation. “For example, if a murder case was lodged by one person against another, we cannot withdraw it,” he explained, stressing the need for thorough verification before taking action.

A gazette notification for 53 of the 1,214 cases will be issued in the coming days, he added.

On the topic of speech-related cases under the Cyber Security Act, Asif highlighted that 396 such cases were filed during the previous tenure. Of these, 332 have already been withdrawn by public prosecutors, and the government has finalized the decision to withdraw 61 more, which will be resolved within the next 3-4 working days. "By the end of February, no speech-related cases will remain in the Cyber Security Court," he assured, although he noted that three cases still cannot be withdrawn as they are currently pending at the High Court.

In addition, Asif addressed the changes in the Power of Attorney regulations for expatriates. Previously, individuals seeking to issue a power of attorney had to possess a Bangladeshi passport and submit it at a Bangladeshi embassy. However, many expatriates' children do not have Bangladeshi passports, which created complications. “After consulting with all stakeholders, we've amended the regulations. Now, expatriates without a Bangladeshi passport can still execute a power of attorney if they have a No Visa Required (NVR) sticker, a birth certificate, or a national identity card,” he explained. This new rule, he believes, will ease the difficulties many Bangladeshi expatriates face.

Finally, Asif announced the issuance of an ordinance amending the International Crimes Tribunal Act, aiming to reduce bureaucratic delays in the investigation and prosecution of cases related to international crimes.