Mob beatings claim 121 lives in 6 months, what does the law say

Two incidents of mob beating occurred Tuesday night, one in Dhaka’s Uttara and the other one in Tongi of Gazipur, adjacent to the capital city. In both the cases, three people suspected to be muggers were subsequently beaten by local residents acting collectively.

In Uttara, after two people were beaten on suspicion of mugging, they were tied by their feet and hung upside down from an over bridge in front of the BNS Centre in the House Building area.

Upon receiving information, the police arrived at the scene and rescued Md. Nazim, 40, and Md. Bakul, 30, and admitted them to a local hospital.

The incident took place around 10:00 pm.

In the incident in Uttara, no lives were lost. However, in Tongi, a young man was beaten to death on suspicion of being a snatcher.

The incident occurred around 10:30 pm on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in the station road area of Tongi.

The police have not yet been able to ascertain the name or address of the deceased.

Videos of these horrible incidents and beatings were recorded and circulated on social media. In the video from Uttara, several people can be seen lifting a man. His feet were tied with a rope.

A young man, wearing a yellow T-shirt, was tying him upside down with an iron pillar of the over bridge, while several others assisted in lifting him.

Such incidents of mob beating and fatalities are on the rise in the country. According to multiple human rights organisation, the number of such incidents and fatalities has increased in the last six months, after August of last year.

Human rights activists and legal experts state that the rising incidents of mob beating reflect serious deterioration in law and order.

They pointed out that despite the increasing frequency of such incidents, the government has failed to take effective measures to address the issue.

Sayeed Ahmed, a member of the Bangladesh Bureau of South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR), told Prothom Alo that the rise in mob beatings highlights the people’s lack of confidence in law enforcement and the judicial system.

He noted that this distrust has been growing for several years. Sayeed Ahmed, however, emphasised that while a lack of trust exists, it can never justify mob beatings.

This public distrust can be resolved through appropriate legal and administrative measures, yet such steps have not been taken, he remarked. “The government bears responsibility for this failure.”

According to data from the Manabadhikar Shongshriti Foundation (MSF), 121 people were killed in mob beatings between August 2024 and January 2025.

Another human rights organisation, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), reported that the highest number of mob beating fatalities in the past five years occurred in 2024. That year, 146 people lost their lives in such incidents, almost three times recorded in the previous year. In 2023, the death toll stood at 51.

Rights activists state that incidents of “mob violence” have escalated since 5 August 2024, while the government has taken little action to curb the issue. In some instances, mobs have reportedly been utilised to forcibly remove individuals from their positions, further fuelling mob-related violence and extrajudicial punishments.

Human rights organisations have expressed deep concern over the increasing number of deaths due to mob beating.

According to Md. Saidur Rahman, Chief Executive of the Manabadhikar Shongshriti Foundation, there are three key reasons behind this rise in such human rights violations.

Firstly, he attributes the incidents to deliberate incitement, with certain groups affiliated with the government and individuals active on social media allegedly encouraging such acts.

Secondly, police inaction plays a significant role, as law enforcement agencies appear to have been deliberately rendered ineffective. Lastly, reluctance of the government to take decisive action has further contributed to the growing trend of mob violence.

Some individuals believe that the recent mob beatings in Uttara and Tongi, where attacks on individuals suspected to be muggers, are linked to the rising crime rate and public frustration.

According to police data, as many as 1,145 cases of robbery and banditry (mugging) were filed in the past six months, reflecting a 50 per cent increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

Robbery and banditry have escalated further in recent months. In January 2025 alone, 242 cases were filed - 99 more than in January of the previous year, marking a 69 per cent rise.

Similarly, in December 2024, some 230 cases were recorded, 95 more than in the same month of the previous year, representing a 70 per cent increase.

Crime analysts suggest that fear of becoming victims of crime may drive people to take the law into their own hands. To prevent such incidents, it is essential to curb criminal activities. Additionally, those who engage in mob violence must be held accountable and subjected to legal consequences.

According to senior Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik, mob beatings are considered murder under the law and those involved are legally identified as murderers.

He attributes the rise in mob violence to a prolonged undemocratic environment, failure to maintain law and order following mass uprising, instability and fear within the administration and inefficiencies in bureaucratic governance.

Shahdeen Malik stated, “Mob beatings are increasing, yet we do not see any significant government efforts to control them. Members of law enforcement agencies are more concerned about their job security and transfers. Additionally, the administration is not being managed effectively.”

He further said, “I am not suggesting that crimes committed by officials should go unpunished. However, given the current state of administrative disorder, achieving any meaningful improvement seems highly unlikely.”

* The report, originally published in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam