The Advisory Council has approved an ordinance granting legal immunity to participants of the July mass uprising. The decision was taken on Thursday during a council meeting, where the “July Mass Uprising Protection and Accountability Ordinance” received approval.

Later, speaking at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said the official gazette notification would be issued within the next five to seven days.

He explained that the ordinance provides immunity for actions carried out during the July and August period that were intended as political resistance. According to him, political resistance refers to activities aimed at dismantling a fascist regime and restoring democratic governance. Those involved in such collective actions will not be held criminally liable.

Asif Nazrul stated that any existing criminal cases filed against July uprising participants will be withdrawn, and no new cases can be initiated against them in the future. However, he made it clear that the immunity does not apply to killings or crimes committed for personal gain, revenge, or narrow interests under the guise of political resistance.

He emphasized that the ordinance does not protect individuals who committed murders unrelated to the uprising or driven by greed, vendetta, or personal motives. The law applies only to coordinated actions connected to the broader movement for restoring democracy.

The law adviser said the government had previously pledged to protect July uprising participants and that the ordinance fulfills that commitment.

Addressing concerns over how to distinguish between politically motivated acts and personal crimes, Asif Nazrul said the responsibility of determining this would lie with the National Human Rights Commission. Families who believe their relatives were killed for reasons unrelated to the uprising may submit complaints to the commission.

He added that the commission will conduct investigations and submit its findings to the courts, with its reports carrying the same legal weight as police investigations. If an incident is found to be part of political resistance, immunity will apply; otherwise, criminal accountability will remain.

When asked by a journalist about the absence of a functioning National Human Rights Commission, Asif Nazrul said the commission is expected to be formed by January 31.