A troubling incident has emerged in Chattogram, as 1,911 critical case files concerning serious charges—including murder, drug trafficking, smuggling, and explosions—have gone missing from the city’s court.
Lawyers have raised serious concerns over the potential impact on the justice process, noting that without these crucial files, it would be difficult to ensure proper legal proceedings and prove the allegations, which could be disastrous for the judicial system.
The Public Prosecutor (PP) of the Chattogram Metropolitan District Judge Court, Mohammad Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan lodged a General Diary (GD) with the Kotwali Police Station on Sunday (5 January) to report the incident.
According to the GD, between 28 and 30 case files from various courts had been stored at the PP’s office.
Due to space constraints, from 24 April 2023, the files were kept wrapped in plastic on the verandah in front of the office.
The files, which numbered 1,911 in total, were stored in plastic bags for safekeeping. However, with the office being closed during the judicial recess from 13 to 31 December, the files were discovered to be missing.
Despite extensive efforts to locate them, the case files remain unaccounted for.
In the GD, Mohammad Mofizul Haque Bhuiyan stated that the whereabouts of the files remain unknown, but acknowledged that the lack of space to store them properly led to their being kept outside on the verandah.
Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station, Abdul Karim, confirmed that an investigation into the matter has begun.
The incident has raised eyebrows among the local legal community.
Several lawyers have expressed concern, pointing out that the case files, or CDs, play a vital role as evidence in court.
These CDs must be submitted along with the charge sheet in court, and without them, it becomes exceedingly difficult to take testimony and proceed with the case.
Lawyers also noted that, even after five to ten years, these CDs are essential to trace the progress of cases, and the absence of such records could impede the delivery of justice in these important cases.
