No one has right to take law in his or her hands: Home adviser

Home affairs adviser Lt. Gen. (retd) Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday emphasized the need to raise public awareness about mob justice, saying citizens have no right to take the law into their own hands.

“No one has the right to enforce justice outside the law. If someone commits a crime, hand him/her over to the authorities,” he said while talking to reporters after a meeting with police officers under Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) at the DMP headquarters in Ramna.

His comments came hours after incidents of lynching at Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University campuses that left two people dead.

He also instructed the law enforcers to become more public-friendly and enhance their service-oriented approach. "Police must not just appear efficient on paper. Their work and actions should prove they are truly serving the public," he said.

The adviser emphasized that the police must ensure the safety of the public while avoiding harassment of innocent individuals.

"No one should be arrested without a proper investigation, and law enforcement officials must always identify themselves before making an arrest."

Regarding concerns about the harassment of people through filing of cases, the home adviser said, “The majority of cases are being filed by citizens who have long-standing grievances." This trend is expected to decrease over time as public frustration diminishes, he added.