Don’t let investigation delays derail justice for July uprising

It is deeply frustrating that nearly 21 months after the tragic events of the July uprising, investigations into most of the cases filed over the killings and violence at the time are still dragging on. According to a report by this daily, of the 1,855 cases filed, police have so far completed investigations into only 176. That means a staggering 90 percent of the cases are still stuck in the investigation phase. Officials at the Police Headquarters blame this sloth-like pace in the probe on the huge lists of accused in these cases, including “unnamed” suspects, which make the process more complicated, not to mention time-consuming.

One may recall the case-filing frenzy after the uprising that ousted the autocratic regime of the Awami League on August 5, 2024. On many occasions, media reports highlighted the dubious nature of many of the cases, with people with little to no connection with the events of July uprising getting charged with murder, attempted murder, and violence. Some were made accused simply because of their political affiliations or leanings, while others were victims of personal vendettas. This daily also reported on cases where the scenes of alleged crimes and the locations of the accused did not match.

As a result, the survivors and families of the victims seeking justice have been stuck in a prolonged wait. Meanwhile, wrongly accused individuals have been forced into a legal quagmire, enduring mental duress and financial losses. Many of them have been detained and remain in jail without bail, already being subjected to punishment without even facing trial. What’s worse, the complainants of many cases have been reported to demand money from the accused with the promise of dropping their names or withdrawing the cases, a trend flagged by the police themselves. Not only is this a gross disservice to justice seekers, but it’s also a blatant violation of people’s right to legal protection and fair trial.

This state of affairs must not continue any longer. While we recognise the complicated nature of the July uprising cases, police investigations must pick up speed while ensuring due diligence. To this end, we suggest forming a special task force dedicated to disposing of the July uprising cases. They will be responsible for scrutinising the relevant details to separate genuine cases from the dubious ones so that the judicial process becomes smoother and less time-consuming.

The prevailing fiasco has again brought to light how weak and vulnerable to abuse our criminal justice system is. It needs a complete overhaul to plug in the loopholes that allow people to file cases without reasonable cause, make “unnamed” individuals accused in a case, and enlist a large number of people as suspects in a single case. Doing any of these creates unnecessary hassle for the law enforcement agencies as well as those who are wrongly accused, while obstructing the course of justice. A modern criminal justice system must not allow legal procedures based on flimsy accusations or prolonged pre-trial detentions without reasonable cause.