Every day, the pages of the Guinness World Records record all kinds of strange and unbelievable achievements. But will the culture of impunity—built on piling up a mountain of cases against a country’s former head of government—ever make it into those records? Over 650 cases against a single individual—has there ever been such a precedent in any corner of the world, in any era? Or are we driven not by the pursuit of justice, but by a competition to turn our entire judicial system into a laughingstock before the global community?

It seems there is only one resolve—they will not stop until this blind process of injustice reaches the absolute heights of absurdity.

A Mountain of Over 650 Lawsuits: Justice or a Grand Farce?

How can over six hundred and fifty cases be filed against a single individual over the same issue and centered around the exact same movement? People around the world are watching this judicial incoherence in utter disbelief. Diverting from the specific path of establishing genuine justice, we are walking down a suicidal road of chasing sheer numbers. No matter how grave the allegations may be, when the case count aims to cross thousands, the trial of actual crimes becomes deeply questioned. Do we fail to realize that under the guise of this over-enthusiasm, the real judicial process is being silently executed?

A Procession in Jhenaidah and a Strange Chief Accused

Recently, a lawsuit was slapped under the Anti-Terrorism Act over a procession in Jhenaidah's Kotchandpur. The procession took place in a specific upazila, yet the chief accused was Sheikh Hasina, the five-time elected former Prime Minister of the country! Where is the logic in dragging the liability of a localized incident into such far-reaching political equations? Is this ridiculous plot a form of justice, or simply an attempt to mask old political habits under a new guise? Doesn't this practice of naming someone as the primary accused—without even the remotest connection to the event—shatter the public’s remaining faith in the legal system?

When Promises of 'No Police-Filed Cases' Fall Victim to Reality

Assurances were repeatedly given from responsible levels of government that no cases would be filed by the police, and no one would be harassed unnecessarily. Renowned legal figures of the country echoed the same sentiment. Yet, the ground reality in Kotchandpur tells a completely different story. There, instead of an aggrieved individual, a Sub-Inspector himself became the complainant to file the case. From events at the National Reporters Unity to the streets of Jhenaidah—is the old pattern of police-led lawsuits emerging everywhere as the mask of assurances slips off? How much further will this stark disconnect between vocal promises and actual action take us?

Where Does the Credibility of Our Justice System Stand Globally Today?

When justice ceases to be a rational legal process and devolves into a game of numbers, its credibility vanishes on the global stage. The entire world is now questioning—what kind of judicial practice is this? If an over-enthusiastic individual actually submits the documentation of these 650 cases to the Guinness World Records, and if they grant it recognition as a unique "record"—wouldn't that leave an indelible stain on the history of Bangladesh's rule of law and judiciary?

Will those in authority ever reflect and ask themselves: Has the time not yet come to put an end to this mock trial that makes us a laughingstock?

Author: Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, Politician, Mayor, Sylhet City Corporation.