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He said investigations have so far been completed in 158 cases, with charge sheets submitted in all of them -- 48 for murder and 110 for other offences. The remaining 1,697 cases are still under investigation.

Asaduzzaman said the large volume of cases has made the process complex and time-consuming. However, police are working to submit reports as quickly as possible while ensuring proper evidence collection and due legal procedure so that trials are not weakened by technical flaws.

On the issue of bail, he said the matter lies entirely within the jurisdiction of the courts.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing justice for victims and their families.

Answering another query from Muhammad Ali Asgar MP, the law minister said the government does not maintain statistics on how many such cases were politically motivated, as police reports do not record the political affiliation of accused persons.

However, citing data from BNP headquarters, he said between 2007 and January 11, 2025, a total of 1,42,983 false and harassment cases were filed against BNP activists.

The minister also said that since assuming office, the current government has withdrawn 23,865 “politically motivated” cases.