False murder cases sweep Bangladesh under Yunus government: Report

Dhaka, Nov 20 (IANS) Bangladesh has witnessed an unchecked wave of false murder cases filed with total impunity against dissenters, including Awami League leaders and activists across the country under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, a report highlighted on Thursday.

It added that more than 1000 cases have been registered so far with minority rights activists, journalists, among those charged, driven largely by pro-Yunus political parties.

According to a report in the Eurasia Review, Bangladesh's prominent lawyer and rights defender Sara Hossain warned months back about the systematic rise of mob violence targetting the judicial system, saying, "Fear exists both inside and outside the judiciary. Judges are constantly worried about who might speak out against them if they take a particular decision. In such a climate of fear, who can deliver proper verdicts? Let alone verdicts — who will even dare to issue an order?"

"This grim assessment marks a stark indictment to Muhammad Yunus led regime’s brazen weaponization of judiciary: an unprecedented yet meticulous use of mob rule to trample on independence of judiciary, followed by thousands of shoddy mass cases and dozens of mob violence on dissenters including leaders and activists of Bangladesh Awami League (AL) inside court premises alongside imposition of a broad ban on the party—all motivated steps executed under the pretext of serving justice to victims from last year’s July August violence that led to the regime change," the report detailed.

It stressed that Hossain’s warning to introduce necessary amendments to ensure a fair trial for hundreds killed and thousands injured appeared to have fallen on deaf ears as Yunus’ press office and his advisors launched an offensive portraying opposition leaders, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ministers, as “mass murderers” seemingly to predetermine the outcome of the verdict.

Expressing concern over the pursuit of vengeance during the past 14 months that has denied dissenters their right to a fair trial, British House of Lords member Alexander Charles Carlile issued a similar rebuke, exposing the fatal consequences of a judiciary driven by vendetta.

“The International Crimes Tribunal system in its present form urgently needs reforms to bring it to international standards. The trials must be transparent, fair, scrupulously adhering to law and constitution”, his statement detailed.

Although the warning came just days ahead of the verdict in the high-profile trial involving Hasina –the case that drew global attention---the interim regime once again disregarded it.

“Instead of putting an immediate end to such regressive measures that turned the trial process into a farce, the Yunus regime rather rolled out a barrage of steps that further undermine international standards and fairness,” the report noted.

--IANS

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