Law Minister Md Asaduzzaman informed the Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday that any case of a political nature, including murder, filed during the tenure of the previous Awami League (banned) government, will be withdrawn, with the exception of rape cases. He made the statement in response to a supplementary question from ruling party lawmaker Zainul Abdin Faruk.

Minister's Statement in Parliament

During the question-and-answer session at the start of the day's proceedings, chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, the minister said, "When a case is filed, it is never written on it that it is a 'political case'." He explained that therefore, all political leaders and activists who have cases against them have been asked to submit withdrawal applications through a prescribed form. He assured that once such applications are submitted, the cases will be withdrawn through the proper legal process.

Context and Background

The announcement came after Zainul Abdin Faruk, the lawmaker for Noakhali-2 constituency, raised concerns regarding the withdrawal of political cases from the autocratic era. The minister's remarks clarify that the identification of political cases will rely primarily on applications from the affected individuals, as the political nature of a case is not explicitly documented in case files.