It seems that mob attacks have now become disturbingly routine. Sometimes these are happening even under the very nose of the police. By now, this has become such a frightening trend that anyone may become a victim anytime, anywhere. The question obviously crops up, why is mob violence persisting despite strong public outcry and heightened security?
Another appalling mob killing took place in Fatikchhari upzila in Chattogram on Friday in which a 15- year-old boy was beaten to death, while two other boys accompanying him were left critically injured. The assailants shouted that the three teenagers were thieves and tied them to the guard rails of a bridge, and beat them mercilessly. The other day, two men were beaten to death by a mob in Rangpur on suspicion of being van thieves. In the Rangpur mob lynch, in presence of the police frenzied people were mercilessly beating the two men, as seen in a video. The police left the scene as the beating continued for reasons only known to them. Eight police personnel were later suspended for negligence. The police have submitted a case statement that makes no mention of police presence during the mob attack. This can send a message to the public that the police can give false case statements to save themselves or to serve whose interests we don’t know.
Four men suspected of taking part in the Rangpur incident have been arrested. The government must ensure that the police arrest all perpetrators regardless of their connections and that they are awarded exemplary punishment through speedy trials.
What we want is the meaningful
action to curb mob violence and
to enforce the rule of law uniformly in the country
It is no denying that the failure of the law-enforcers to act swiftly and decisively has created to a great extent an atmosphere where vigilante justice is becoming commonplace as the situation has emboldened the mobs. In several cases the delayed or reactive policing tacitly signals tolerance for such acts.
All this raises brows as to whether rule of law or rule of mobs will rule. However, all this is entirely unacceptable to reagon and to a society that claims to uphold the rule of law.
We do not believe in the mob culture, but the way things are moving is enough for getting panicked as nearly 180 people have been lynched recently by the frenzied mobs, according to Ain-O- Salish Kendra. The government warned that mob attacks in any form would not be tolerated, but no strong action from the authorities concerned is visible. What we want is the meaningful action to curb mob violence and to enforce the rule of law uniformly in the country. Even in the face of terrible incidents, any such stringent action is rarely seen that can send out a strong message that those who are involved in such incidents must not feel they can get away with impunity.
Unfortunately, the frightening regularity with which incidents of mob violence is occurring, it is crucial that the government ensures arrest of all attackers. And the attackers must be punished hard to signal the toughening approach of the authorities. Amid widespread outrage voiced from different quarters the Home Adviser said the law enforcement members would be punished if they were found negligent in curbing mob violence. We think it is high time the government should take a especial initiative to identify the persons involved in mob attacks and take prompt action.
