Jumbangla Desk: Pro-BNP lawyers have slowly started to raise their voices to withdraw the cases against BNP Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman. News from BBC Bengal

Last Monday, Bangladesh Nationalist Lawyers Forum, an organization of pro-BNP lawyers, demanded the withdrawal of all cases filed against Tariq Rahman in a press conference. Pro-BNP lawyers have threatened to protest if the case is not withdrawn.

On the other hand, there is a kind of confusion about when Tarique Rahman will return to the country. The leaders and workers of the party also want to understand the matter.

The question is, will he feel comfortable returning to the country as the case is ongoing? Or will he wait until the case is withdrawn?

After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 and Sheikh Hasina fleeing to India, many BNP leaders and workers thought that Tarek Rahman might return to the country soon.

Although almost two and a half months of the interim government have passed, there is a kind of confusion among the leaders and workers of the party about when Tariq Rahman can return to the country.

BNP leaders cannot say anything for sure about when Tariq Rahman will return to the country.

'From the grassroots to the highest level of BNP, no one has been spared from harassment. Tariq Rahman is not only concerned with his own case. Numerous cases have been filed against BNP leaders and activists, like-minded political parties and independent-minded people in the last 16 years. He wants every false case to be withdrawn,' Mahdi Amin, advisor to BNP Acting Chairman Tariq Rahman, told BBC Bangla.

BNP has always claimed that during the Awami League government, about 145,000 cases have been filed against BNP leaders and workers in the past 15 and a half years. However, it was not possible to verify the truth of this claim of BNP.

Amin said that it is the responsibility of the interim government to ensure the legal and political environment for Tariq Rahman to return to the country.

It may be that the case against Tariq Rahman was withdrawn, but the case against other leaders and activists remained. He wants the human rights of everyone from the grassroots to the central leaders to be protected and they should not be deprived of the rule of law,' says Amin.

Why demand to withdraw the case?
Pro-BNP lawyers have already raised demands to withdraw Tariq Rahman's case.

Many of them fear that even though the interim government is in power, the political situation is not completely normal and various conspiracies are still going on. In such a situation, if he comes to the country before withdrawing the case, the matter may not be positive.

Therefore, if it is possible to withdraw the cases before Tariq Rahman returns to the country, it will be politically convenient for him.

"It has been almost two and a half months but till now there is no sign of withdrawing the case," BNP Legal Affairs Secretary and one of Tariq Rahman's lawyers, Kaiser Kamal, told BBC Bangla.

'Every case is baseless. Absence case was filed. After August 5, there was an expectation among people and political activists across the country that these cases would be withdrawn soon,' said Kaiser Kamal.

Just a week before, Kaiser Kamal had said that all cases against Tariq Rahman would be dealt with through proper legal process.

In response to the questions of the journalists, Kaiser Kamal then said, 'We have always said that Tariq Rahman has the highest respect for the law-court-constitution. He knows the cases against him, every case is politically motivated, false and fabricated.'

He said, 'A few cases have been judged baselessly. However, he is respectful of the law and the cases will be dealt with through due process of law.'

Have they moved from that position? To such a question, Kaiser Kamal said, 'No, I have not moved under any circumstances. Withdrawal of the case is part of the legal process.'

Kamal said, not only Tariq Rahman's case, but the political cases which were filed during the Awami League period 'under political revenge' are being demanded to be withdrawn.

He said that the process of withdrawing the case has not started yet. Different districts of the country still have public prosecutors (PPs) appointed by the previous government. Pro-BNP lawyers feel that the process of withdrawing the case is not possible if they are not removed from their posts.

How many cases against Tariq Rahman?
Kaiser Kamal said, among the 17 cases against Tariq Rahman during One Eleven, Orphanage Trust has been convicted in the corruption case and asset concealment case. Besides, the remaining 15 cases of tax evasion, extortion are suspended.

Tariq Rahman has been sentenced in a total of five cases. Besides, there are more than 70 defamation cases against Tarek Rahman in different parts of the country.

After the caretaker government took office in 2007, various political party leaders and businessmen were arrested in an anti-corruption campaign.

Tariq Rahman was arrested on March 7 of that year. After being released on September 13th of the following year, he went to London.

What is the government's initiative?
The Public Security Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs formed two committees in the third week of last September to withdraw the 'harassment cases' that were politically motivated during the Awami League government. One of these is the district level committee and the other is the ministry level committee.

A notification has been issued in this regard. It has been said that the president of the district level committee should apply to the district magistrate by December 31 to withdraw the political 'harassment case'.

After the district committee makes recommendations, they will be scrutinized and the cases to be withdrawn will be identified. After making the list, the ministry level committee will take up the process of withdrawing the case.

Regarding the scope of work of the district level committee , it has been said that the application for withdrawal of the case should be accompanied by the affidavit and attested copy of the complaint in applicable cases.

Within seven working days of receiving the application, the District Magistrate shall forward the application to the District Public Prosecutor (in particular the Metropolitan Public Prosecutor) for opinion.

Then within 15 working days the Public Prosecutor (in particular the Metropolitan Public Prosecutor) will send his opinion to the District Magistrate. The District Magistrate after collecting the opinion of the Public Prosecutor will present the application in the meeting of the District Committee within seven working days.

After receiving the recommendations from the district committee, the committee at the ministry level will scrutinize them. Prepare the list by identifying withdrawable cases and take action to withdraw the cases.