Government must stop continued mob violence

Continued mob violence, with no sign for an early let-up, is worrying, especially because of its implications for law and order.

In the latest development, a man while standing in front of his house in Nazrul Nagar area of Char Fasson area on Sunday, a group of men dragged him away, claiming that he was a thief.

There had been several incidents of theft in the village and residents were angry. They broke his arms and legs before gauging out both of his eyes.

Its true mob violence has been occurring in the country for years. But the recent spate of mugging and robbery has apparently witnessed a terrifying surge in mob justice, exposing both the lawlessness in certain segments of society and the utter failure of the interim government to ensure basic security.

This alarming trend reflects the harsh reality of the state of governance in the country and raises questions about our national conscience causing a surge in such incidents.
According to a news report published in a national daily yesterday quoting a database of Ain o Salish Kendro, mob beating claimed at least 128 lives in 2024 with 96 occurring between August and December. The number of such deaths was 51 in the previous year.

Meanwhile, rights activists have expressed concern about growing incidents of crimes, which include mob violence, putting it all down to a breakdown of the rule of law and calling for an urgent government action for the improvement of the situation.

The government has already stepped up joint patrols and set up checkpoints to curb crimes. The Dhaka city police say that 500 patrol teams are deployed in the metropolitan areas.

They have also arrested several hundred people involved in mugging, robbery, extortion, theft and drug peddling. But the situation on the ground appears warranting more government efforts.

Bangladesh fought hard for its democracy, just nearly seven months ago, and over one thousand people gave their lives to restore it.

Now it appears that the dream of justice is slipping away, with blood being shed in the name of mob vengeance. If this interim government fails to deliver justice, the consequences for our society will be devastating, and the hope for a just and fair Bangladesh will fade into oblivion.