Law enforces are yet to complete the investigation into the cases filed for mayhem wreaked by Hafazat -e-Islam seven years back in the capital's Shapla Chattar on 5 May 2013.
Thousands of members of Hefazat -e-Islam, a Qawmi madrasa-based Islamist organisation, clashed with law enforcers and ruling Awami League men turning Motijheel and Paltan areas into battlefields in 2013.
Law enforces believed Jamaat-e-Islami and their student wing Chhatra Shibir was behind the Hafazat -e-Islam mayhem.
Meanwhile, at least 20,000 people were sued in at least 27 cases over a series of violent protests carried out by Hefazat-e-Islam in several districts of the country last week.
They caused mayhem in some districts on March 26-28 March centring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bangladesh visit.
A total of 83 cases were filed in seven districts including in Dhaka, accusing 3,416 named and 84,796 unnamed people in connection with 2013 Hefazat -e-Islam mayhem.
Many of the accused were from the Hafazat, the Jamaat-e-Islam and BNP.
They set fire to hundreds of shops, vehicles and police outposts and looted stores. Clashes also took place in different other districts in the following couple of days.
Police could only submit charge-sheets in 18 cases and gave final reports in another two. The verdict in only one case has so far been announced, while an investigation into the remaining 62 cases has now got stuck.
As an Islamic advocacy group, Hafazat-e-Islam activists turned gradually violent and kept Motijheel occupied for nearly 12 hours after their rally there on 5 May 2013, law enforcers took the bull by the horns after midnight and drove them away.
In the remaining 62 cases, police say they are in dilemma to proceed as they did not get the go-ahead from police headquarters, while the latter says it is waiting for a nod from the Home Ministry.
However, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told media that police can give a better answer to why the charge-sheets have not been submitted yet.
The Home Ministry and the police headquarters know an update on investigations into the pending cases but neither of them was ready to inform anything in this regard.
Following the Motijheel mayhem, 53 cases including murder, attempt to murder and vandalism were filed with several police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Sources at DMP headquarters said of the cases, 33 were filed with the Paltan Police Station, six with Motijheel Police Station, three with Shahbagh Police Station, two with Ramna Police Station and the rest with other police stations under the DMP.
At least 30 more cases were filed in Narayanganj, Dhaka, Bagerhat, Barisal and Chattogram on May 6 and the following couple of days over the fierce clashes.
The police, government officials, relatives of the victims, Islamic leaders, businessmen, shop owners, employees of different offices and political parties filed the cases.
According to the police headquarters, out of 83 cases, two cases were registered with Kalabagan Police Station in Dhaka, one with Ramna, one with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station, six with Bagerhat and five with Narayanganj.
Hefazat's Central Committee Secretary General Junaid Babungari, Jamiat Ulamaye Islam Secretary General Mufti Waqqas, BNP-Jamaat and some top leaders of several political parties were also arrested. Top BNP leaders Moudud Ahmed, MK Anwar and Rafiqul Islam Mia were also arrested in connection with the May 5 killing of a policeman.
Several police officials requesting anonymity told The Daily Observer that the government's lack of interest in moving forward with the cases was a reason why the investigations went into hibernation.
