Mob Justice or Injustice? In Bangladesh, 121 people have been killed in mob lynching in the past 6 months, highlighting a serious breakdown in law and order.
Dhaka, February 26: The issue of mob lynching has come to the forefront again in Bangladesh. According to the Human Rights Culture Foundation, 121 people have been killed in mob lynching across the country in the last six months, with 21 of them killed in January alone. Although the government and police have announced various initiatives to curb the deteriorating law and order situation in the capital Dhaka, several mob lynching incidents have been reported just yesterday.
Mob lynchings occurred in Uttara and Tongi, where a young man was killed after being beaten by a mob on suspicion of being a thief. In another incident in Uttara, a suspected thief was beaten by a mob and hung. Videos of local people patrolling certain areas of the city have also been circulating on social media.
The police have stated that they are carrying out extensive operations to prevent these crimes, and 65 checkpoints have been set up across Dhaka city. However, public trust in the police’s actions has been decreasing. Many people believe the police's efforts are still insufficient, and they are avoiding confrontations to steer clear of uncomfortable situations.
Advisor to the government, Asif Mahmud, stated in a briefing on Vijay Sarani last night that efforts are underway to bring the law and order situation under control and that the situation will improve soon. He claimed that while major crimes have decreased, minor crimes have increased, and measures are being taken to control them.
Meanwhile, Dhaka University teacher and crime expert Dr. Touhidul Haque stated, “Public trust in the police and government’s measures has declined. The lack of effective steps to control crime is increasing incidents like mob lynchings. We need to curb the tendency to take the law into one’s own hands.”
Despite police efforts, the rise in mob lynching incidents is eroding public trust in law enforcement, which is creating new concerns about the overall security situation across the country.
