Bangladesh’s August 2024 political earthquake promised renewal, but a torrent of new cases has bred suspicion of selective justice. Opposition voices, press freedom defenders, and NGOs decry the framing of innocents in thousands of probes, allegedly to nurse grudges and neutralize threats.
Nationwide figures are jaw-dropping: 22,000 cases since the uprising through elections. Breakdowns reveal 7,500 tied to political clashes and destruction, 1,500 to homicides, 1,200 leveraging repressive statutes like the Special Powers Act and Digital Security laws.
Another 2,000+ under sabotage and blast regulations, 10,000 for petty crimes from looting to beatings. Minister Salahuddin Ahmed concedes ulterior motives ensnared bystanders, tasking police with thorough reviews.
Quoting official channels, Dhaka Tribune details the surge. HRSS uncovers 349 political cases post-July unrest, accusing 29,772 specifically and 65,000 vaguely. Media faced 49 suits naming 222 reporters; 834 suffered brutality in parallel.
From protests to Yunus’s interim rule ending in elections, law-order crumbled amid minority pogroms and journalist perils. 41 Cyber Security Act filings compound woes. Police note 30-40% formalized charges, ongoing inquiries in 20%+, and exonerations via final reports.
The pattern signals deeper malaise. As Bangladesh eyes consolidation, addressing these allegations head-on could rebuild credibility. Failure risks entrenching cycles of misuse, undermining the uprising’s democratic aspirations.