Dhaka | 13 May
A mother claimed that her son was shot during the July uprising. She even filed a case seeking justice. However, the investigation has revealed that the claim was entirely false. The case had been fabricated to settle personal grievances. An investigation by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) found that the tenth-grade student had not suffered any gunshot injury. The mother had filed the attempted murder case against local political leaders in Companiganj, Sylhet. In reality, the investigation revealed that the boy had been injured in a road accident at a different location.
In another case, a living person was shown as dead. The complaint claimed that a 20-year-old young man had been killed in the Uttara area of the capital during the uprising. However, the PBI investigation found that he is alive and well.
These are not isolated incidents. While investigating 195 CR (Complaint Register) cases filed across the country after the July mass uprising, the PBI has found evidence of at least 14 false cases. According to PBI headquarters data, motives behind filing these fake cases ranged from prior enmity to family disputes. Of the 14 false cases, 10 were filed on charges of attempted murder, three for assault and physical abuse, and one for murder.
Additionally, in 10 more cases, the PBI found no evidence supporting the allegations.
PBI Police Superintendent (Legal and Media) Md Abu Yusuf told The Daily Star last week, “We repeatedly verified the allegations, but found no evidence. In these cases, we have applied to the court through final reports to acquit the accused.” So far, the PBI has completed investigations into 113 out of 195 CR cases. Among these, 89 cases were found to be genuine, including 9 murder cases and the rest involving crimes such as attempted murder.
Data analysis shows that in these 89 cases, a total of 6,844 individuals were accused. However, after investigation, evidence was found against only 1,343 individuals.
When asked about this, Additional Inspector General of Police (Crime) Khandaker Rafiqul Islam said that accused persons in false cases often face harassment and financial losses.
He said, “We may not be able to compensate them. However, under Section 211 of the Penal Code, we can apply to the court to take legal action against those who file false cases. The police are taking such steps in cases related to the July uprising.”
Regarding punishment for filing false cases, Section 211 of the Penal Code states that anyone who files a false criminal case may face up to two years of imprisonment, a fine, or both. If the false allegation involves a serious offence, the punishment can be up to seven years of imprisonment.
According to a United Nations fact-finding report, 1,400 people were killed in the movement that began in July 2024 demanding quota reforms. The movement ultimately led to the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.
According to Police Headquarters data, as of April 4 this year, a total of 1,855 cases have been filed across the country in connection with the incidents of that time. Thousands of people, including members of law enforcement agencies and leaders and activists of the Awami League, have been accused in these cases. The cases are being investigated by the PBI and other police units.
Claim of shooting, but it was a motorcycle accident
Shihab’s mother, Fatema Akhter Parul, filed an attempted murder case on November 21 last year. The case named 17 individuals, including local political leaders, and accused 15 to 20 unidentified persons.
In the complaint, she claimed that on August 4, 2024, her son Shihab was seriously injured when the accused opened fire and threw cocktails in front of the Companiganj Upazila Parishad office gate.
However, the PBI investigation revealed completely different information.
According to the PBI’s final report, on that day Shihab’s motorcycle collided with a battery-powered auto-rickshaw. The incident occurred at a different place and time. The PBI confirmed this through eyewitness statements and analysis of call detail records (CDR).
Medical records from Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Hospital also found no evidence of firearm injuries on his body. However, investigators confirmed that Shihab had actively participated in the mass uprising.
The investigation also revealed the real motive behind filing the case. The PBI report states that on August 4 and 5, clashes occurred between Awami League supporters and activists of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. Later, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leader Yusuf Ahmed Jony filed a case against 33 people, including Awami League leader Yakub Ali. Yakub Ali is the uncle-in-law of Shihab’s mother, Parul.
The report states that Parul filed the false case against the Chhatra Dal leader and others as a counter to that case.
When contacted via the phone number provided in the complaint, Parul’s husband Sharif Uddin answered the call. He claimed that his son is a government gazetted “July fighter” and that he was shot during the uprising. He directly rejected the PBI’s claim that his son’s injuries were caused by a motorcycle accident.
He said they have not yet received a copy of the PBI report. “We will challenge this investigation report,” he said.
A living person shown as dead
While investigating a murder case involving a 20-year-old in Uttara, the PBI found that the man is alive.
The youths mother, Parul Khatun (45), filed the case on November 25 last year in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Dhaka. The case accused 257 individuals, including over a hundred local Awami League leaders and activists.
In the complaint, she alleged that her son, Md Kawser Mia, was shot dead during a student procession in Azampur, Uttara, on July 18, 2024, and that his body was never found.
However, the investigating officer discovered that Kawser is alive. In fact, he was arrested on June 2 this year in a case related to preparation for robbery. The PBI could not determine the motive behind filing this false case.
‘Abuse of the legal system’
Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton said that such incidents of filing false cases are deeply concerning. He said that after August 5, a vested group has been using these cases as a tool to settle personal scores.
The former member of the Commission on Enforced Disappearances said, “Professionals and political activists who have no connection whatsoever have been targeted in these complaints. This is a gross abuse of the legal system. Those who have filed such false cases must face legal action.”