THE government鈥檚 failure to prevent mob violence caused the death of three of a family in Cumilla. A woman and her son and daughter were beaten to death at Muradnagar on July 3 allegedly for their involvement in drug dealing. The police say that there is more than one narcotic cases against the victims and no case so far has been filed regarding the murders. The narcotic cases, however, in no way justify the violence because such killing goes against the rule of law. In less than a week ago, a worker in a Gazipur factory was tied up with rope and beaten to death on allegations of theft on June 30. After the fall of the Awami League regime, the police force had virtually disappeared for around two weeks when mob violence shot up. In September 2024, former Chhatra League leaders of Jahangirnagar University and Rajshahi University were killed. But in 10 months since the installation of the interim government, law and order has not improved up to expectations, with at least 179 people reportedly killed in mob attacks.
Mob violence is not an uncommon concern. Rights group Odhikar says that at least 1,164 people died in 2009鈥�2019 as people took the law into their own hands. In the changed political context, mob violence has, however, become alarmingly a routine affair because of the government鈥檚 apparent indecisive position. The information adviser鈥檚 recent remark trying to stretch the definition of mob violence as 鈥榩ublic court鈥� appears to be an attempt at justifying an act of punishable offence and the violation of rights. There are other instances in which government lenience towards mobs was noticed. In March, a mob tried to free an accused sexual harasser from the Shahbagh police in Dhaka and, later, welcomed the accused with flower garlands after he had secured bail. The home affairs adviser, after a mob assault on a former election commissioner at the time of his arrest on June 23, said that the government had not been able to stop mob violence, but the frequency of the incidents had been reduced. Rights reports, however, contradict the home affairs adviser鈥檚 claim as mob killing has now been the highest in a decade.
A lack of effective response from the government and law enforcement agencies has contributed to the escalation of mob killing. The authorities, therefore, need to take immediate, effective measures to improve law and order to stop mob violence. They should also investigate each such incident and hold the perpetrators to justice to end the culture that is an affront to the rule of law. The law enforcement agencies should also be strict about stopping and dealing with mob violence.