Investigators fail to find victim, cite political pressure
An "attempted murder" case filed against ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has spectacularly collapsed, revealing deep cracks in the current legal crackdown led by the interim government. The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has admitted that investigators could not even locate the alleged victim, let alone find evidence of a crime.
Phantom Victim and Fake IDs
The case, filed at Dhaka’s Dhanmondi Police Station in September 2024, accused Sheikh Hasina and 112 others of attempting to murder a man named "Shahed Ali" during protests. The complaint was filed by a man claiming to be the victim's brother, Md Sharif.
However, a PBI probe revealed shocking details: there is no such person as Shahed Ali. Investigators visited the address listed in the FIR only to find that neither the victim nor the complainant had ever lived there. Furthermore, the National ID number provided for the victim was fake. Even the shop where the victim allegedly worked did not exist.
Police Admit Political Pressure
Despite these "factual inaccuracies," the PBI revealed it is under significant "pressure" regarding the Sheikh Hasina case. While the agency has recommended dropping the charges due to a lack of evidence, the admission suggests that law enforcement is being pushed to maintain cases against the Awami League leadership regardless of the facts.
A Pattern of 'Ghost Cases'?
This incident substantiates allegations made by the Awami League that the Muhammad Yunus administration is weaponizing the legal system. Since the regime change, Hasina has been named in over 225 cases. Critics argue that many of these are "ghost cases"—charges filed without real victims or evidence to harass political opponents.
The Police Bureau of Investigation noted that the case was "fundamentally unreliable." The court is set to hear the matter again on February 3, but the collapse of this high-profile allegation raises serious questions about the legitimacy of hundreds of other similar cases filed in Bangladesh politics recently.
