IT IS reassuring that the government has taken steps to investigate the police action against a rickshaw puller, who was arrested on August 15 after being physically assaulted by a ‘mob’ for trying to place flowers and pay his respects to the founding president of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibar Rahman, at Dhanmondi 32 in Dhaka. The beaten and injured rickshaw puller was taken into police custody and shown arrested in an attempted murder case related to the July uprising and sent to jail on August 16. While producing the rickshaw puller before a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate court, the police submitted that there was adequate evidence to link him to the case. The rickshaw puller and his family, meanwhile, insisted that he had no political affiliation and his only intention was to pay respect to the political leader of his country. It is a relief that the rickshaw puller was granted bail on August 17, and the Chief Adviser’s Office has sought an explanation from the officer-in-charge of the concerned police station about the arrest and also directed them to investigate whether there are any inconsistencies in the police action. The harassment of the rickshaw puller, however, drew public criticism because it is yet another vexatious case related to the violence during the July uprising.
Legal harassment of the rickshaw puller is not an isolated incident. In May, a retired professor of Jagannath University was arrested in a dubious case related to the July massacre. Earlier, an actress was arrested and sent to jail on a similar case. Many speculated that she was arrested because of performing the role of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina in a film and for her support of the Awami League regime. Similar speculations were made when, in October 2024, an attempted murder case against an eminent Supreme Court lawyer was brought for his alleged involvement in the July massacre. Many thought that he was subjected to legal harassment because of his criticism of the interim government on certain issues. The government has repeatedly assured that it will take steps to stop the harassment, but the case against the rickshaw puller suggests otherwise.
The continued harassment of ordinary citizens or public figures in vexatious cases suggests that the reckless legacy of the abuse of the legal system is continuing in the changed political context. The government should, therefore, ensure that the directive it has issued is implemented and the probe report related to procedural violations in the rickshaw puller case is submitted in due time. All authorities concerned should reckon with the fact that falsely accusing anyone in wholesale murder cases related to the July mass uprising carries the risk of making the entire legal process controversial.
