DESPITE concern raised by various quarters, including political parties, and assurances from the authorities, blanket murder cases against Awami League leaders, activists, aides and, even, professionals close to them have continued. Such cases and detention in connection with the cases after the fall of the Awami League regime on August 5 amid the student-mass uprising are worrying on a few counts. About 140 murder cases have so far been filed against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled the country on August 5, and hundreds of Awami League leaders and activists, aides and professionals close to the regime. In most cases, there are, moreover, named and unnamed people, too, while there are many named people whose connection or complicity in incidents of murder during the July-August protests appears untenable. Allegations have it that many businesspeople and other professionals have been accused in the cases with ulterior motives of vested interests. One of the major problems with such blanket murder cases is that they dilute the crimes of some people of the deposed Awami League government and the high-handedness of the law enforcement agencies. These cases also appear to be a continuation of the misuse of legal tools.
During the protests, which initially began peacefully against a High Court order regarding the restoration of quota in civil service jobs and were later forced into violence by attacks on the students by Awami League fronts and the police, about 1,000 protesters and by-standers died and about 20,000 were injured, mostly in indiscriminate police fire and attacks by Awami League fronts. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina and her government, one of the first demands raised was that the new government would bring those responsible for the murders to justice. Many in the deposed Awami League government and the party fronts are certainly responsible for the killings as are many in the law enforcement agencies. There are plenty of photographs and video footages that establish this. It is also not difficult to identify the people involved in the attacks on protesters and the authorities need to identify them and bring them to justice. Besides, there are many Awami League leaders and professionals, involved in myriad of crimes, financial and others, during the 15 years鈥� Awami League rule and these people need to be brought to book for the crimes they committed. Blanket murder cases against them will eventually help them go scot-free from crimes they actually committed. This will also lead to a public assumption that the authorities are negligent in maintaining proper legal procedures.
It is not that all Awami League leaders, activists and aides were involved or complicit in the murders. Moreover, there are hundreds of Awami League leaders and activists who committed myriad other crimes during the regime. The authorities should, therefore, ensure that specific charges are framed against Awami League leaders and activists for the crimes committed during not only the student protests but also the entire regime.
