Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam has revealed that out of 1,760 cases filed during last year’s anti-discrimination movement, charge sheets have been submitted in only 55 so far, while the rest remain under investigation.

Speaking at a press briefing at police headquarters on Tuesday, the IGP said police have invoked section 173-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to recommend exemption for 136 individuals who were found primarily innocent, a move that has already been approved by courts. Applications for another 236 people are currently pending.

Of the total cases, 766 involve murder while 974 fall under other categories. Alam said charge sheets have been filed in 18 murder cases implicating 1,941 suspects, while another 37 non-murder cases list 2,185 accused.

The murder case charge sheets have been submitted in Dhaka, Chattogram, Sherpur, Feni, Chandpur, Noakhali, Pabna, Kurigram, Bogura and Rajshahi Metropolitan Police areas. The other 37 cases were filed in districts including Bogura, Chapainawabganj, Sirajganj, Naogaon, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Narsingdi and Barguna.

Alam said senior officers are directly supervising the investigations while guiding junior officers who lack experience in handling complex probes.
Responding to allegations of false charges and harassment, the IGP admitted that innocent individuals had been wrongly accused in some cases. He said the government had introduced provisions allowing early relief for those victims, even before charge sheets are filed.

“We are taking steps to ensure no innocent person is harassed. Action will be taken against any officer found engaged in malpractice,” Alam said.
The IGP also encouraged individuals who believe they were falsely implicated to apply for review under section 173-A so their cases could be re-examined and submitted to courts for exemption.