Wednesday, 12 March, 2025
Eight people have been beaten by mobs on suspicion of being thieves and muggers in separate incidents in Dhaka. Police on Sunday took the injured to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, or DMCH, after the attacks were reported from the capital’s Jatrabari, Motijheel, Chawkbazar, and Bhatara areas on Sunday. Jatrabari Police Station Sub-Inspector, or SI, Farzana Akter said, "Locals beat up four people, including three brothers, on suspicion of being muggers in the Konapara area around 11:45 am. They were rescued and taken to a hospital."
Since August 5, 2024, mob justice has surged in Bangladesh, with at least 96 people killed in mob lynchings, according to data from Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK). This trend has worsened in recent months, with 28 mob-related deaths reported in September alone, the highest monthly total this year. Mob justice in Bangladesh has surged in recent months, posing a serious threat to public safety and governance. The trend, which initially gained traction due to public anger against the previous government, has been further fueled by political and social instigators.
Incidents have ranged from attacks on minority communities and religious sites to targeted violence against teachers, students, and political opponents. In several cases, mobs have forced educators to resign or physically assaulted individuals accused without evidence. The recent looting and arson at the Gazi Tyres factory, which left thousands unemployed, highlights the economic fallout of such unrest. These incidents have been driven by a lack of trust in the legal system, with mobs taking the law into their own hands, often targeting alleged criminals, political figures, and ordinary citizens.
Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam on Sunday said the interim government has taken a tough stance against any mob justice. Anyone from now on involved in whipping up mobs or creating any disorder will be arrested directly from the spot. “The law is blind; it will not consider the criminal's caste, ethnicity, or gender, whether they are male or female. Whoever conducts mob justice—whether religious or non-religious—they will be brought under the law from today onwards”, the adviser said during a press briefing at the Ministry of Law’s conference room.
Despite repeated calls for reform, the state has failed to take a firm stance against mob violence. The root of the problem lies in both inadequate law enforcement and an alarming lack of consequences. Perpetrators of mob lynchings often walk free because they are not seen as individual criminals but as part of an uncontrollable crowd. This impunity only emboldens others to do the same. If the justice system cannot ensure fair trials and lawful punishment, public confidence erodes, and mob rule takes over.
As the police force remains demoralised, with dozens of stations vandalized and officers fearing retaliation, the interim government is struggling to contain the crisis. It has granted magisterial powers to military officers and urged law enforcement to act, but widespread distrust in the justice system has emboldened mobs. Many perpetrators of mob justice act with impunity, believing law enforcement will not intervene effectively.
Addressing this challenge requires decisive government action, including restoring public trust in the judicial system, strengthening law enforcement, and ensuring accountability. Without immediate reforms, mob violence could escalate further, endangering democracy and economic stability. In a civilised society, justice must be dispensed through legal channels, not through the hands of an enraged mob. Yet in Bangladesh, mob justice remains an enduring stain on our social fabric, exposing the failures of law enforcement and the growing distrust in the judicial system. How much longer will we tolerate such barbarism? How many more lives must be lost before we say, "enough is enough"?
Mob justice—where a group of people takes the law into their own hands, often inflicting brutal violence or even death upon an accused individual—has become alarmingly common. The victims of these frenzied attacks are often not hardened criminals but mere suspects, caught in the unforgiving grip of public paranoia. A man accused of theft, a woman behaving "unusually," or even someone falsely rumoured to be a child abductor can become a target. In a country that aspires to uphold the rule of law, this is nothing short of a national disgrace.
Despite repeated calls for reform, the state has failed to take a firm stance against mob violence. The root of the problem lies in both inadequate law enforcement and an alarming lack of consequences. Perpetrators of mob lynchings often walk free because they are not seen as individual criminals but as part of an uncontrollable crowd. This impunity only emboldens others to do the same. If the justice system cannot ensure fair trials and lawful punishment, public confidence erodes, and mob rule takes over.
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Eight people have been beaten by mobs on suspicion of being thieves and muggers in separate incidents in Dhaka. Police on Sunday took the injured to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, or DMCH, after the attacks were reported from the capital’s Jatrabari, Motijheel, Chawkbazar, and Bhatara areas on Sunday. Jatrabari Police Station Sub-Inspector, or SI, Farzana Akter said, "Locals beat up four people, including three brothers, on suspicion of being muggers in the Konapara area around 11:45 am. They were rescued and taken to a hospital."
Since August 5, 2024, mob justice has surged in Bangladesh, with at least 96 people killed in mob lynchings, according to data from Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK). This trend has worsened in recent months, with 28 mob-related deaths reported in September alone, the highest monthly total this year. Mob justice in Bangladesh has surged in recent months, posing a serious threat to public safety and governance. The trend, which initially gained traction due to public anger against the previous government, has been further fueled by political and social instigators.
Incidents have ranged from attacks on minority communities and religious sites to targeted violence against teachers, students, and political opponents. In several cases, mobs have forced educators to resign or physically assaulted individuals accused without evidence. The recent looting and arson at the Gazi Tyres factory, which left thousands unemployed, highlights the economic fallout of such unrest. These incidents have been driven by a lack of trust in the legal system, with mobs taking the law into their own hands, often targeting alleged criminals, political figures, and ordinary citizens.
Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam on Sunday said the interim government has taken a tough stance against any mob justice. Anyone from now on involved in whipping up mobs or creating any disorder will be arrested directly from the spot. “The law is blind; it will not consider the criminal's caste, ethnicity, or gender, whether they are male or female. Whoever conducts mob justice—whether religious or non-religious—they will be brought under the law from today onwards”, the adviser said during a press briefing at the Ministry of Law’s conference room.
Despite repeated calls for reform, the state has failed to take a firm stance against mob violence. The root of the problem lies in both inadequate law enforcement and an alarming lack of consequences. Perpetrators of mob lynchings often walk free because they are not seen as individual criminals but as part of an uncontrollable crowd. This impunity only emboldens others to do the same. If the justice system cannot ensure fair trials and lawful punishment, public confidence erodes, and mob rule takes over.
As the police force remains demoralised, with dozens of stations vandalized and officers fearing retaliation, the interim government is struggling to contain the crisis. It has granted magisterial powers to military officers and urged law enforcement to act, but widespread distrust in the justice system has emboldened mobs. Many perpetrators of mob justice act with impunity, believing law enforcement will not intervene effectively.
Addressing this challenge requires decisive government action, including restoring public trust in the judicial system, strengthening law enforcement, and ensuring accountability. Without immediate reforms, mob violence could escalate further, endangering democracy and economic stability. In a civilised society, justice must be dispensed through legal channels, not through the hands of an enraged mob. Yet in Bangladesh, mob justice remains an enduring stain on our social fabric, exposing the failures of law enforcement and the growing distrust in the judicial system. How much longer will we tolerate such barbarism? How many more lives must be lost before we say, "enough is enough"?
Mob justice—where a group of people takes the law into their own hands, often inflicting brutal violence or even death upon an accused individual—has become alarmingly common. The victims of these frenzied attacks are often not hardened criminals but mere suspects, caught in the unforgiving grip of public paranoia. A man accused of theft, a woman behaving "unusually," or even someone falsely rumoured to be a child abductor can become a target. In a country that aspires to uphold the rule of law, this is nothing short of a national disgrace.
Despite repeated calls for reform, the state has failed to take a firm stance against mob violence. The root of the problem lies in both inadequate law enforcement and an alarming lack of consequences. Perpetrators of mob lynchings often walk free because they are not seen as individual criminals but as part of an uncontrollable crowd. This impunity only emboldens others to do the same. If the justice system cannot ensure fair trials and lawful punishment, public confidence erodes, and mob rule takes over.
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