The parliament today passed the ordinance issued during the interim government that grants indemnity to participants of the July Uprising without any change.
The interim government issued the July Mass Uprising (Protection and Liability Determination) Ordinance, 2026, granting legal protection and indemnity to students and people who took part in the movement that toppled the Sheikh Hasina regime in 2024.
Today, July Mass Uprising (Protection and Liability Determination) Bill 2026 was passed following its introduction by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed.
The bill designates students and members of the general public who participated in the movement as “participants in the mass uprising”.
It states that all civil and criminal cases filed against participants for incidents occurring during the movement will be withdrawn, and no such cases may be filed in the future. It also outlines procedures for disposing of pending cases.
If any case or legal proceeding is active against a participant, the relevant court will immediately withdraw it upon an application by the public prosecutor or a government-appointed lawyer, subject to certification by the government. Upon such application, the accused will be immediately discharged or acquitted.
However, for allegations of killings during the uprising, such complaints may be submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which will undertake investigations.
In cases where the victim was employed in an institution or force, NHRC cannot assign investigation responsibility to any current or former officer of that institution or force. If arrest or custody of an accused becomes necessary during investigation, the investigating officer must first obtain approval from the commission with reasonable justification.
If the commission’s investigation finds that the alleged act was a criminal misuse of the chaotic situation, it will submit a report to the competent court, which will treat it as equivalent to a police report and proceed accordingly.
Conversely, if the commission concludes that the act was part of political resistance, it may order the government to provide compensation to the victim’s family. In such cases, no related lawsuit or legal proceeding can be initiated in any court.
Participating in the discussion on the bill, MP Hasnat Abdullah came down heavily on the government for not passing National Human Rights Commission ordinance issued by the interim government.
