At least 114 incidents of mob lynching have been reported in the seven months since the interim government took over. At least 119 people were killed and 74 were injured in the incidents.
A total of 792 people lost their lives in the incidents of mob beating in the last 10 years. The number of injured in these incidents is 765. Human rights agency Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) disclosed this in a press release published on Wednesday.
The HRSS says incidents like mob lynching and torture has increased in recent times. There have been several reports of people being killed by mobs on suspicion of being involved in robbery.
Besides, there are also reports of mob lynching on the allegations of hurting religious sentiment and kidnapping. Although cases have been filed over such incidents, the accused rarely gets punished. As a result, incidents like mob beating are on the rise.
According to the HRSS, 2024 saw the highest number of such incidents in the last 10 years with 201 reports of mob lynching. Some 179 people were killed in these incidents with 88 more injured.
The years of 2015 and 2016 saw a high number of casualties from mob lynching. As many as 232 persons were killed in mob lynching in those two years.
The HRSS figures show the country witnessed at least 30 incidents of mob lynching in January and February. Some 19 were killed and 20 were injured in these students.
Although mob lynching is nothing new in the country, it got a new hype after the change of political regime. Before, it happened more on the suspicion of criminal activities like theft, robbery and mugging. Now, incidents of combined attack have increased, which have already been termed as the mob culture in the country.
Many have termed this as an outburst of enraged people after the interim government took over. However, the political parties and rights activists are blaming the government for failing to control incidents like this even after six months.
On 3 March, two people were killed on suspicion of robbery following an announcement from a local mosque. On last Tuesday, a mob vandalised a house in the capital’s Gulshan area in the name of “search”.
HRSS says seven people were killed in mob beating in Shariatpur over robbery allegations on 28 February. Some five people were killed in the incident. A day before that, two persons were hanged upside down in Uttara on suspicion of mugging. Apart from this, there have been reports of mob lynching in various areas including Bogura, Madaripur, Tangail, Chattogram, Khulna, Mirsharai, Jatrabari, Tongi, Rajshahi and Barishal.
HRSS executive director Md Ezazul Islam cited six types of reasons behind the rise of mob lynching in the country.
Speaking to Prothom Alo he said people were committing vengeful acts of mob lynching out of political grievances as the law enforcement agencies, in particular, the police and the RAB (Rapid Action Battalion), are not fully active yet. Besides, people are outraged with increasing number of mugging and robbery, which motivates them mob lynch on suspicion of criminal activities.
Ezazul Islam further said there are not many examples where people involved in mob lynching are brought to book. As a result, many are taking the law into their own hands. Besides, a vested quarter is trying to create anarchy within the country and there is a lack of awareness in this regard. These are the reasons behind incidents like mob beating is on the rise across the country.
The HRSS says mob lynching is a punishable offence and a clear violation of human rights. So the agency has urged everyone to refrain from taking law into their own hands.
The agency says the law enforcement agencies will have to play an effective role to prevent incidents like mob beating. The interim government needs to play a responsible role to ensure people’s security and bringing people involved in activities like mob lynching to book.
The press release further says as per the law, any criminal must be handed over to the police. If someone is killed in mob beating, then each person from the mob will be equally responsible for the killing. No one should be convicted unless the crime is proven. Besides, no one should be subjected to torture, inhuman behaviour and brutality according to the international law.