Even those defending mobs through conditional and theoretical arguments are now facing public outrage. People from different walks of life are openly cursing them. It is quite evident that these mob perpetrators are pulling the desire for change into the ground and putting the government in a difficult position.
They are dragging the country towards further disaster. Mob terrorism isn’t just about beating people to death; it includes grabbing homes, attacking institutions, and violently accusing and assaulting anyone they dislike. The government must acknowledge people's frustrations and emotions — but solutions must be based on justice and fairness.
That is the essence of the rule of law. Yet some frontline figures of the popular uprising — a few YouTube businessmen and close associates of the Chief Adviser — are subtly defending the mobs, ignoring the awareness and good sense of the public. In this context, the army is the most reliable force. Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman has repeatedly vowed to crack down on these mob disturbances with an iron hand.
In Rangpur, when mobs gathered, a military officer issued a stern warning: “As long as blood flows through our veins, this will not be tolerated.” But the intensity of such warnings seems to have dimmed, as mobs are re-emerging in some areas. Evidence suggests they have merely paused — not stopped. It is unimaginable to think that our army, which brings peace to African jungles, cannot restore order in their own land. Attempts to incite hatred against the army and spread misinformation have failed and will continue to fail. The efforts to incite people and break the morale of the army have already fallen flat.
That is why people now want to see visible reflection of the Army Chief’s strong warnings against mob violence.
The yearning for change, fuelled by relentless sacrifice and bloodshed, must not be allowed to sink into the quicksand of destruction. It is because of government failures that July and December came. But does that mean mobs should follow?
If this wave of change slips through our hands, mob violence will emerge as a new disease — one that will inevitably push the country towards becoming a failed state. Like an illness, the tendency to take the law into one’s own hands is spreading. Almost every day, incidents are increasing across the country — many of which don’t even reach the media.
In Muradnagar of Cumilla, villagers, acting on their own, beat and hacked three members of a family to death. Another daughter of the same woman is now in critical condition at the hospital. The victims were accused of drug dealing. According to the police, this too was a mob — a premeditated murder. But the police failed to act. They could not save the three lives. It’s another glaring example of the helplessness of both the public and the police.
Statistics show that from January to July this year alone, at least 94 people were killed in mob beatings across the country. The number over the past ten months is close to 200. This rising trend of mob attacks, lynchings, and killings indicates a fragile law and order situation. The government has stated that such conditions cannot be allowed to continue and has ordered stricter enforcement from concerned authorities.
Yet no real change is visible. When people abandon the legal system and resort to brutality for justice, it renders the judiciary irrelevant — something that doesn’t happen even in the most barbaric or uncivilised states of the modern world.
Some incidents clearly suggest the rise of middlemen who benefit from mob activity. The government does not want mob violence. Despite being wronged himself, Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus does not bear a spirit of revenge. He has called upon the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and from passing judgement before the courts do — a message he issued right after taking office.
His press wing has clarified that the government does not support mob violence. The Army Chief and his forces have not backed down from their anti-mob stance. The main opposition party BNP has also made its position clear. The party’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman called mob activity a form of violent madness — an enemy of humanity — and expressed concern that it will hinder the development of democratic culture.
Mahfuz Alam, a key adviser to the interim government, elaborated on the matter in a recent status, stating that there is no connection between mob violence and the July uprising. The Home Affairs Adviser has also emphasised the need to stop mob violence. Political parties, including the Left Democratic Alliance, are protesting through rallies. Human rights organisations have long been expressing concern.
This means neither the anti-fascist movement, the government, nor any established party is supporting the mobs. Yet the mobs continue to roam freely, wielding power. Middlemen are exploiting the justice system for personal gain, putting the government in jeopardy and staining the country’s image.
Some quarters are trying to justify current mob violence by recalling similar “punishments” meted out to notable individuals during the previous regime. They forget the price the past fascist regime had to pay — many had to flee for their lives. No one knows how long they’ll suffer the consequences of those sins. For nearly ten months, mobs have been storming important offices and buildings, harassing people over their alleged links with the former government, and seizing homes and even offices. The perpetrators of these acts will not escape consequences.
But before that, we must urgently rein in the looming disaster that is threatening the nation. Mere statements and warnings won’t be enough. Not all incidents are caught on camera. Can we really expect every act across the country to be recorded?
Of all these incidents, how many have led to arrests? And what happened to those who were arrested? These questions cannot be brushed aside. People are talking, and their words are finding their way out.
Many are saying that after the interim government assumed power on 8 August last year, the major mob incidents that took place could have been tackled — especially with the army deployed and armed with judicial powers. In Rangpur and a few other places, army intervention did subdue mob violence temporarily. But now it is rising again.
Time is running out for the government to act decisively. This mob menace is now dragging the government into its spiral, hindering its progress and tarnishing the global image of the Chief Adviser. It is changing the very identity of the nation.
If the country fails, the mob leaders won’t be held accountable — they’ll vanish. The entire burden will fall on the interim government that emerged from the people’s uprising. Harsh as it may sound, this is the hard truth.
With these repeated events, people are now raising serious questions: Where is the rule of law? How will the public be protected from such attacks and violence?
Members of the armed forces, alongside law enforcement, are ensuring public safety. They also hold magisterial powers. Even so, why hasn’t this disease of mob violence been cured? Can the police and administration alone stop mob terror? Does the government truly want to stop the mobs — or are they afraid of them? Or worse, are they inciting them? Such questions are swirling everywhere — and remain unanswered.
The writer is journalist and columnist; Deputy Head of News, Banglavision
