October 23, 2024
DHAKA – The inclusion of eminent lawyer ZI Khan Panna in a murder case is a disturbing reflection of a trend of legal harassment that refuses to go away even after the fall of an autocratic regime that normalised it over the years. Panna was embroiled in the case along with 179 others on October 17. On Monday, the High Court granted him anticipatory bail following a petition. But the fact that he was named at all—with the plaintiff admitting he did not know Panna and had no idea how his name ended up in the list of accused—shows the farce that is being made of our legal system through such dubious cases.
The irony of Panna’s case is hard to miss. Not long ago, the veteran human rights activist slammed the wholesale filing of murder cases over the July killings across the country, yet now finds himself at the business end of one. This doesn’t look good for the interim government. In recent weeks, Panna made headlines by criticising the government for various reasons, including the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s “reset” remarks, the cancellation of March 7 and several other national days, and the suspension of an assistant commissioner following her controversial Facebook posts. It will not be a leap to suggest a connection between his critical stances and his being accused in a case. No Adviser also came out strongly against the development. This is a PR disaster the government can ill-afford to have when both its credibility and competence are being tested on multiple fronts.
As things stand, Panna’s name seems likely to be dropped, after the plaintiff filed a request in that regard. That doesn’t resolve the concerns or questions raised by the case, however. Over the two months and a half since August 5, we have published multiple reports and editorials on the indiscriminate filing of such murder cases without any evidence, mostly implicating the leaders, activists, and suspected supporters of the Awami League regime. Even journalists and rights activists were not spared. In many cases, fabricated FIRs were filed. There were also instances of the names of accused in cases predating August 5 being replaced. This is nothing but a weaponisation of the legal process for harassment and political vendettas. Such false or exaggerated cases only dilute the justice system, diverting resources away from genuine investigations and creating an atmosphere of fear.
The interim government has a responsibility to ensure that the legal system is not abused in this way. While it has taken some initiatives to reform the system, progress has been slow and often invisible. This needs to change. The authorities must take decisive steps to stop the filing of false cases and punish those responsible for them. The real culprits behind the violence during the mass uprising must be brought to justice, but it must not be at the expense of innocent individuals, including government critics.