Soon after taking the oath as minister, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed went to the Secretariat on 18 February this year and declared that mob culture (the practice of unruly crowds carrying out collective attacks) would stop completely.
On that day, at the conference room of the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Secretariat, on his first working day, he said, “Mob culture is over. It will not be allowed in the name of pressing demands. However, processions and rallies can be held, and memorandums can be submitted to press legitimate demands. We want to continue the democratic process.”
Contrary to the minister’s pledge, not only has mob culture not ended, it has in fact increased in April compared to March. This rising trend has been highlighted by the human rights organisation Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation (MSF). The picture was presented in its April human rights report released today, Thursday.
MSF publishes a monthly report on the human rights situation in the country. These reports are prepared based on various newspapers and the organisation’s own investigations.
According to the MSF report, 21 people were killed in mob attacks or lynching in April. In March, the number was 19. There were 49 mob incidents this month, compared to 36 in March. The number of people injured in mob attacks also rose to 49 this month, up from 31 in the previous month.
MSF Executive Director Saidur Rahman told Prothom Alo today that such incidents are distinct from other types of crime. Mob action directly challenges the state. The state and mob cannot coexist. The home minister had said there would be a full stop to mob culture, but in reality it has not stopped; rather, it has increased. This raises the question whether it is a lack of political will or incompetence on the part of the government.
He added that mob action is an extrajudicial tendency, and this tendency is now on the rise.
Number of unidentified bodies also rising
The number of unidentified bodies has also increased in April.
In April, a total of 56 unidentified bodies were recovered from different parts of the country—1 child, 2 adolescents, 12 women, and 41 men. MSF says this is alarming and reflects a growing sense of insecurity in civic life. Except for a small number of cases, most of these bodies remain unidentified and are handed over to Anjuman Mufidul Islam for burial.
According to MSF data, the number in March was 53. Most of these bodies are found floating in rivers or ponds, or lying by highways, roadsides, under bridges, beside railway tracks, in croplands, and in abandoned places.
Violence against women and children has increased
According to MSF data, 312 incidents of violence against women and children occurred in April, which is 23 more than the previous month. There were 54 cases of rape, 14 gang rapes, and one case of rape and murder. Among the victims of rape were six women and girls with disabilities.
Of the 54 rape victims, 18 were children and 14 were adolescent girls. Among victims of gang rape, there was 1 child, 4 adolescent girls, and 9 women. One adolescent and one woman were victims of rape followed by murder. There were 23 attempted rape cases, 17 incidents of sexual harassment, and 68 cases of physical assault. One woman was attacked with acid.
This month, a total of 26 people—including 5 adolescent girls and 21 women—died by suicide. Two children and two adolescent girls were abducted, while one adolescent girl and nine women remain missing. Additionally, in April, a total of 89 children, adolescent girls, and women were killed, including 2 adolescent girls and 5 women who died unnatural deaths—16 more than the previous month. Among them were 11 children and 12 adolescent girls.
MSF also reported that in one case of attempted rape of a child and one case involving an attempted rape of a woman, local influential figures reached settlements outside the legal system. Disregarding existing laws, decisions were made through illegal arbitration.