Govt Approves Ordinance Granting Indemnity to July Uprising Participants
The government on Thursday gave final approval to the draft “July Mass Uprising Protection and Liability Determination Ordinance 2026,” which grants indemnity to participants of the July 2024 mass uprising.
The approval was given at the weekly meeting of the Council of Advisers, held at the Chief Adviser’s Office in Dhaka and chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Briefing the media at the Foreign Service Academy later in the afternoon, Law Adviser Professor Asif Nazrul said the ordinance was formulated in line with the government’s earlier commitment to ensure legal protection for those who took part in the July Uprising.
He said the ordinance would be promulgated through a gazette notification within the next five to seven days. Its core objective, he explained, is to grant immunity from criminal liability to participants for activities carried out as part of organised political resistance during the July–August 2024 uprising.
By political resistance, the law adviser said, the ordinance refers to actions undertaken with the aim of overthrowing the fascist government and restoring democratic governance. Individuals involved in such activities during July and August 2024 will be exempt from criminal responsibility.
Prof Asif Nazrul said that if criminal cases have already been filed against participants for actions linked to political resistance during the uprising, the government will take steps to withdraw those cases. He added that no new cases may be filed in the future for actions carried out during that period as part of organised political resistance.
He repeatedly stressed that the term “political resistance” is central to the ordinance, clarifying that anyone who committed murder in July or August for personal gain, revenge, or narrow interests under the guise of political resistance would not be eligible for immunity.
The ordinance, he said, does not provide protection for killings motivated by greed, vendetta, or personal interests unrelated to the objective of toppling the fascist government and restoring democracy.
Addressing concerns over how such distinctions would be made, Prof Asif Nazrul said the responsibility for determining whether an act was linked to political resistance or personal motives has been assigned to the National Human Rights Commission.
If a victim’s family believes that a killing was carried out for personal or narrow interests and had no connection to the uprising’s objectives, they may file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. If the commission finds the killing was motivated by personal interests, it will investigate and submit a report to the court, which will be treated like a police investigation report.
However, if the commission determines that a killing occurred as part of organised political resistance, criminal liability will not apply and immunity will be granted. In such cases, the commission may still recommend financial compensation for the victim’s family if it deems it appropriate under the ordinance.
On the timeframe covered by the indemnity, Prof Asif Nazrul said the ordinance applies to actions carried out between 1 July and 31 August 2024. He noted that after the Liberation War, indemnity had been extended until February 29, 1972, despite the war ending on December 16, 1971. “But we did not extend it that far,” he said, adding that the selected period aligns with various declarations, including the July Charter, and reflects global precedents for granting indemnity to revolutionaries.
Regarding the formation of the National Human Rights Commission, the law adviser said it would be constituted by 31 January, noting that the selection committee has already held its first meeting. He expressed confidence that Bangladesh would soon have the strongest, most effective Human Rights Commission in its history.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Deputy Press Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder were present at the briefing.
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