Ordinance issued giving indemnity to July uprising participants: Bangladeshi state media

ISLAMABAD: The Bangladesh government has issued the July Mass Uprising Protection and Liability Determination Ordinance 2026, granting legal protection to participants of the July-August 2024 mass uprising and ordering the withdrawal of cases filed against them, state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported on Monday.

According to the report, the ordinance aims to "legally protect and remove cases filed against the participants in the mass uprising held in July-August months in 2024."

A gazette notification was issued on Sunday by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs, the report said.

The ordinance designates those who participated in the uprising that began on July 1, 2024, as Gono Abhutthankari, or people of the mass uprising.

It states that all civil and criminal cases filed against participants for actions carried out during the movement to restore democracy, human rights and the rule of law will be withdrawn.

Under the ordinance, all the civil and criminal cases filed against the participants who have staged this movement for "restoring democracy, human rights and rule of law and ousting the fascist ruler will be scrapped," the report said. 

The ordinance also draws a distinction between political resistance and criminal abuse of a chaotic situation.

It provides that allegations of murder involving uprising participants will be referred to the Human Rights Commission for review.

If the commission determines that a killing occurred as part of political resistance, no criminal case will be filed against the individual involved, though the commission may recommend compensation for victims’ families, the ordinance said.

However, if the commission concludes that a killing was committed for personal interest or constituted criminal abuse rather than political resistance, it will submit a report to the concerned court, which will then initiate proceedings by treating the report as a police case, according to the ordinance.

The president promulgated the ordinance under Article 93(1) of the Constitution, which allows for ordinances to be issued when parliament is not in session, the report said.

Parliament currently remains dissolved, and the ordinance cited the need for immediate legal measures in view of the prevailing situation.

The ordinance further states that its provisions will take precedence over any other existing laws in the country.