Mob violence-related killings persist unabated, despite repeated government warnings and growing concerns from human rights organisations.
Rights activists claim that official cautions remain only on paper, as a failure to adhere to the rule of law fuels revenge-driven mobs. In some cases, police officers themselves have fallen victim to mob attacks.
Human rights organisation Odhikar Director Nasir Uddin Elan told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Police capacity has declined since August 5 last year, with morale being severely damaged by repeated attacks on officers.
“If police morale is restored and the rule of law is established, mob violence will decline significantly,” he said, adding that some individuals are using mobs to settle personal scores.
He urged visible action across both urban and rural areas, alongside accountability for those involved. Between August 1 and 11, at least 14 incidents of mob violence occurred nationwide, leaving 10 people dead and 13 injured.
On Wednesday, 27-year-old Likhon Hossain was beaten and thrown from a rooftop in Dhaka’s Mirpur area. On August 9, in Taraganj, Rangpur, in-laws Ruplal Das and Prodip Das were killed after being accused of theft – a claim their families have publicly contested.
The same day in Madaripur, three suspected thieves were assaulted, with one nearly losing an eye. An investigation into the first 11 days of August shows that eight of the incidents involved accusations of theft, while the remaining incidents stemmed from extortion, prior enmity, or planned disputes.
Back in July, Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury claimed that mob violence had decreased and urged public vigilance to prevent further such incidents.
However, Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) data reveals that between January and August 10, at least 111 people were killed in mob attacks – including 45 in Dhaka, 17 in Chattogram, and 11 in Barishal during the first half of the year.
On May 22, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman warned in an officers’ address that mob violence would not be tolerated, promising strict legal action. However, observers have noted that even with joint forces deployed, no significant intervention has been seen on the ground.
Professor Omar Faruk of Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University’s Department of Police and Criminology stated that mob violence is being used for political and economic gain in the absence of law-based governance.
“The government talks a lot but takes no effective steps,” he said, adding that no perpetrators have been held accountable. The Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) reported 67 deaths and 119 injuries from January to June in 141 incidents.
Since 2015, the group has documented at least 1,009 mob attacks resulting in 816 deaths, with 2024 marking the “most alarming” year in the past decade.
Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam said, police alone cannot stop mob violence and called for a united effort. He noted that mobs targeted police 37 times in April and 35 times in March.
Human Rights Culture Foundation (MHCF) figures show that from January to July this year, 78 people were killed in mob attacks, with nine more killed in the first 10 days of August.
Between January and 10 August, 266 people were injured, including 53 in July alone.