Widespread “Lawsuit Trade” Alarms BNP Leader

Rumin Farhana, the former leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and current Member of Parliament for Brahmanbaria-2, has expressed deep concern over the growing phenomenon of “lawsuit trade” across the country.

Speaking as the chief guest at a reception in Islampur, Bijoynagar, Brahmanbaria on Monday (23 March), she claimed that legal proceedings are increasingly being manipulated for monetary gain. “Nowadays, hundreds of individuals are being named in FIRs without any wrongdoing,” she asserted.

Rumin Farhana alleged that money is being demanded both for filing false cases and for removing names from such cases. She emphasised the distinction between genuine criminals and innocent citizens, stating, “Those who have committed offences should face the law. But the innocent must not have their names dragged into these cases.”

Highlighting the local implications, she warned that she would not allow the continuation of lawsuit trade in her constituency. Addressing law enforcement authorities directly, she urged careful verification of all claims, saying false complaints should be thoroughly scrutinised before any legal action is taken.

She also raised concerns over the practice of “show-arrests,” where individuals released on bail are immediately re-arrested under new charges—a trend she described as alarming and indicative of a wider cycle of retribution. “This cycle of revenge—today I am in power and take vengeance, tomorrow someone else comes and does the same—cannot be allowed to continue. We need to rethink our approach,” she cautioned.

Concluding her remarks, Rumin Farhana stressed the need for balanced justice: criminals must be held accountable, yet innocent citizens should be protected from harassment. She called for systemic reforms to break the cycle of retaliatory legal actions and ensure fairness in the judicial process.

Summary of Key Points

Rumin Farhana’s remarks underscore a growing public concern over the misuse of legal instruments for personal or political gain, and she has called for urgent attention to restore fairness and integrity in the judicial process.